


How it Began

by Monker



Series: You two were close? ...Very. [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BAMF Phil Coulson, Canon Compliant, Case Fic, Episode Related, F/M, Falling In Love, Fight Scene, Fluff, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Kissing, Melinda May Is a Good Bro, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Only light in the darkness, Origin Story, Phil Coulson & Melinda May Friendship, Pre-Series, Protective Phil Coulson, Romance, origin of the cellist, philharmonic origin story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-03-12 01:42:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13536990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monker/pseuds/Monker
Summary: "I was terrified. I begged him to leave me alone. He just stood there, saying I was his 'light.' I ran and called the police. They didn't believe me...But then a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent came to my door. I don't why, but I trusted him right away. Something about his face, the handsome part maybe. He just swooped in, it was like out of a movie.""You two were...close?""...Very."This is the origin story of how one agent and one cellist met and fell in love. The first installment in my new Philharmonic series. ENJOY! And as always, Kudo and Comment and I'll love you forever. :)





	1. The handsome part, maybe

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This story was certainly a long time coming. I started it over 4 years ago and the writing process has proved very slow. But now I am ready to share this with the fandom, so I really hope you guys enjoy it! And if you like it, be sure to give acemerrill a good pat on the back. She hounded me about this story diligently for the past 4 years, faithfully reading and editing every chapter as I mosied along through the writing process. She motivated me and brainstormed with me to work out the canon to this story (and the next), and I can honestly say that this story would not be complete and ready to share if it weren't for her. She's the best.
> 
> So without further ado, I really hope you like this story!
> 
> Deep breath in...deep breath out...here we go!

"I appreciate you doing this," Audrey said, walking through her front door and turning on the light. She wasn't sure why, but she half expected to find him standing in her living room, waiting for her. She let out a little breath when a quick pan around the room verified that it was empty. She would still probably check all of her closets before she went to bed, though.

"It's fine," Bethany replied, following her sister into the house and setting down her duffel bag. "You'd do the same for me."

"Well...let's hope I never have to." Audrey stood in her entryway, arms crossed over her chest nervously, scanning the shadows of her house like she still expected him to appear anywhere.

"Hey," Bethany said, her voice just as gentle as the touch she gave to her sister's arm. Audrey looked at her. "It's going to be fine. I'll stay with you tonight and, in the morning, we'll call the police again...see if we can talk to someone new this time."

Audrey rolled her eyes. " _Ugh_ , the police. You know, as a tax-paying citizen, I have been _grossly_ disappointed with the way they've been handling this. I thought they swore an oath to help people like me. A woman is being _stalked_ in their district and they don't care!" She yelled the last bit towards her window, as if the entire Portland Police Department was hanging out on her lawn, just waiting to hear her tirade against them.

Bethany smiled softly and rubbed the other woman's back soothingly. "Well, like I said...maybe we'll get to talk to someone new tomorrow. In the meantime, we should probably get some sleep."

Audrey sighed and looked down at her carpeted floors. She needed to vacuum. "I really do appreciate you coming all the way up here. I feel safer, having someone else in this house with me."

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing." Bethany's smile dropped slightly and she rubbed her sister's back a little harder. "But...I really do need to head back to Eugene in the morning."

"Oh, you do?" Audrey asked, trying not to let her disappointment and fear be evident in her voice.

Bethany nodded regretfully. "Jason was texting me today and it sounds like he needs help with the kids. He thinks Conner has come down with something and Tammy has her recital tomorrow evening and I totally forgot about it." Bethany added a smile as she finished, "She's so excited, says she wants to be just like Auntie Audrey."

That coaxed a real smile out of Audrey for the first time in days. "She's sweet. I wish I could be there for it, but..."

"I know, you have a concert of your own," Bethany finished, patting her sister's arm reassuringly. "And don't worry, we've already explained that to her."

"Okay, well...tell her I'll be clapping from here, though. And I fully expect a video."

"You got it."

With her spirits lifted a little, Audrey inhaled deeply and looked back over her house with less trepidation. Whoever this guy was, she wasn't going to let him make her afraid in her own house. This was her home. He wasn't allowed to haunt her here. Looking back at her sister, she smiled. "What do you say we watch a movie to unwind before bed?"

"What?" Bethany asked with exaggerated delight. "Like a _real_ slumber party?"

"Like a _real_ slumber party!" Audrey answered, and the two women laughed and began the preparations.

* * *

They were about halfway through the movie when there came a knock on the door. Audrey and Bethany both looked at the clock on the wall and exchanged a puzzled look when it read 10:23pm. They hesitated.

"He doesn't usually knock," Audrey observed, her hands already starting to shake.

Bethany patted her sister's hand and then slowly got up to answer the door.

She cautiously looked out the small window pane in the door and was relieved when it wasn't the man her sister had described. In fact, it was two men, and they looked like detectives straight out of a procedural drama. The older one smiled good-naturedly when he saw Bethany peer out at them.

"Can I help you?" she asked, pulling the door open a crack.

"Audrey Nathan?" the taller man asked in response.

"No, I'm her sister."

"Is your sister home? We'd like to speak with her."

From her place on the couch, Audrey craned her neck to see the face of the man talking. She had never before laid eyes on him, yet he seemed somehow familiar to her. She wasn't sure what it was, but something about the kind smile on his face made her feel she could trust him. Odd. Especially considering her present circumstances. But she felt secure all the same.

"Let them in, Beth," Audrey called, getting up to join her sister. Bethany looked back at her in surprise and Audrey simply shrugged her shoulders.

Bethany opened the door wider and the man nodded his thanks to her as he stepped into the house. The shorter man followed.

"Miss Nathan, my name is Agent Phil Coulson, this is Agent Khan." As he spoke, Agent Coulson revealed a badge within his wallet and his partner did the same.

"Are you here about that man?" Audrey asked hopefully.

Agent Coulson seemed slightly surprised by the abrupt question, but he nodded presently all the same. "We are."

"So, you're not exactly cops," Bethany observed. Cops were called 'officer' or 'detective.' At least they were on TV. 'Agent' usually meant something else. "Who are you, then?"

For the first time, Agent Khan began to speak "We're with the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforce-"

"You can call us S.H.I.E.L.D." Agent Coulson simplified, handing Bethany his badge to satisfy her curiosity.

Then, to Audrey's surprise, the agent's attention was drawn to the television screen, a frozen image of a young America Ferrera holding a telephone to her ear. He smirked and approached the entertainment system, picking up the DVD case. "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants? Really?" he teased.

Audrey was soon tearing the case from his hands. She shot him a look, one that accounted for both her surprise and her amusement. "Everyone's entitled to one guilty pleasure." She placed the case back on the DVD player.

"Fair enough," he conceded. "And I guess, as guilty pleasures go, I've seen worse. A lot worse, actually."

Again, Audrey was surprised by the agent. This time, though, it was just the smile. Small, but striking. The smile in his eyes seemed to be bigger than the one on his mouth somehow. She wasn't used to seeing smiles like that, but it felt like it was supposed to be telling her something. And she really wanted to know what it meant.

Unaware of the nameless exchange happening between her sister and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Bethany spoke up, carefully reading the words aloud. "Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division? What does that even mean?"

Coulson looked back at the other woman. "Our organization specializes in investigating unique events and persons. We believe the man following your sister is such a person."

"What can you tell us about him?" Agent Khan asked, his beady little eyes blinking at Audrey expectantly as he withdrew a small notebook from his pocket.

Audrey hiked her shoulders. Looking back at Coulson, she replied, "I don't really know anything about him. A while ago-"

"You called me about it on the twelfth," Bethany inputted.

"Right, so...I guess it's been a couple weeks now but, I first noticed him at one of my concerts."

"Where exactly?" Khan asked, scribbling into his notebook.

"Schnitzer Concert Hall on South-West Broadway. I'm a cellist in the orchestra there."

"So what happened?" Coulson asked.

"Well, nothing at first. He just sat there. Gave us his complete attention, clapped harder than anyone else when we closed the final movement. It was nice."

"But then he started following her," Bethany added.

"He started coming to more and more of my shows. Always sitting in the front. Always watching me. After a while, it became unnerving. Pretty soon, I was seeing him other places too. The grocery store. The bank. Then, one day, I saw him on my lawn. Right out there." She walked over to her window and pointed out to the spot. Agent Coulson followed behind her and peered out onto the grassy lawn. "I asked him to leave my property, but he just moved to the street. He wouldn't go away."

"Did he threaten you?" Coulson asked turning to look back at Audrey and taking a step back when he realized how close they were.

"No, not exactly. All he said to me was that I was his 'light in the middle of a darkness'."

"His _light_?" Coulson wasn't sure what that meant yet, but he was certain it was important. It was especially interesting considering what he had been reading in the man's file. This man seemed to have more experience than most with 'darkness'.

Audrey just nodded her confirmation. "Would sound romantic-"

"If it wasn't coming from a _creeper_ ," Bethany finished.

Audrey conceded to the description with a subtle expression. "I couldn't really tell it at the concerts but, after talking to him...I don't think he's totally...you know," she looked at Coulson regretfully, like she didn't want to say whatever it was she was trying to suggest. "I think he might have some kind of brain damage or something. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just..."

Coulson smiled softly at her kindness. She was trying so hard to not be offensive while describing this man's potential handicap. "Can you think of anything else we should know?" he asked gently.

Audrey thought for a moment, softly shaking her head.

Bethany spoke up again from her place by the couch. "We've tried to call the police but, since he doesn't actually enter her property anymore and he has never technically threatened her, they say he isn't breaking any laws so there's nothing they can do." The woman approached the two by the window to return Agent Coulson's badge. "But what about S.H.I.E.L.D.? Can _you_ help us?"

"We will certainly try. We've been tracking this man for a little while now. Our goal is to bring him in and ask him a few questions. In the process, I'm sure we can persuade him to leave your sister alone."

"So who is he?" Audrey finally asked, almost nervous to hear the answer.

"His name is Marcus Daniels. He was involved in a unique event, the kind my organization is interested in investigating. As of right now, we're uncertain what kind of effect this event has had on Mr. Daniels. It's why we'd like to talk to him. Get a better idea of what exactly happened and what it means."

Audrey waited, expecting the explanation to involve more than that, but Agent Coulson grew quiet then and Audrey realized that was as much information as she was going to get. She sighed and looked out the window again. Maybe she didn't want to know any more than that anyway. "I just don't know why he's so interested in _me_ ," she confessed quietly.

Agent Coulson followed her gaze out into the yard again. His tone was also gentle as he answered, "Hard to say for sure, but...it's not uncommon for a man to be drawn to a particularly beautiful woman." He looked back at her, a slight shyness to the quirk at his lips. "In that respect, it's not so unthinkable."

She looked over at the agent in shock. Men had told her she was beautiful before, but hearing it from a total stranger was rare. The only other man who had said something remotely similar was Marcus Daniels himself. But, the difference in tone between the two was as stark as night and day. Agent Coulson's voice was so soft and kind, and when she looked at him, he just smiled at her smoothly. Still stunned, Audrey responded. "Thank you." Somewhere behind her, she knew her sister had a coy expression on her face, but Audrey chose to ignore it.

"Sir?" Agent Khan asked, lowering his hand from his ear, having apparently just received a message.

Coulson tore his eyes away from Audrey to look at the other agent.

"Satellite scan of the perimeter shows nothing. He's not here," Khan reported.

"Well," Coulson said, looking back at Audrey. "Looks like we'll be getting out of your hair then. Miss Nathan, would you permit me to post an agent outside your house to keep an eye on things?"

"You think he might really be dangerous?"

"It's possible, but until we find him and understand what happened to him, it's hard to know for sure exactly what kind of threat Mr. Daniels poses, if any. In either case though, I'd like to have a man on site, just in case he comes back here."

"I would really appreciate the extra protection. It's actually why my sister is staying the night. I haven't felt very safe here lately."

Coulson scowled subtly in disapproval. "In that case, would you prefer I make it a two man team?"

"Oh, no," Audrey assured, reaching out to touch his arm dismissively. "One agent will be sufficient, I'm sure. Thank you though."

Coulson looked down at the gesture and smiled at her politely. "My pleasure." He reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved a small business card. "This is my number. If you remember anything else about him or have any questions, please, don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you, Agent..." she looked down at the card to remember his name, "Coulson." She couldn't help but smile at him. "This helps give me some peace of mind."

He returned the smile and gave a small nod. "Good. That's always our aim." Turning to his partner he asked, "You got all that?"

Khan nodded, putting his notebook back into his pocket. "Yes sir."

Coulson turned back to Audrey. "Then we'll be going. I apologize for the late interruption." He glanced back at the TV as he started to move towards the door. "Enjoy the rest of your movie."

"Thanks," Audrey said, following him to the door.

"You may be hearing more from us," Agent Coulson said over his shoulder as he exited the door.

"I hope so," Audrey replied. She wasn't even sure what she meant by that, but in the dim light from her porch, she was fairly certain she saw Agent Coulson turn and look at her once more, a soft twinkle in his eye.

Audrey waved and then closed the door. When she finally turned back into the room, her sister was smiling at her. "What?" Audrey asked.

Bethany hiked her shoulders, the smile still in place. "Nothing," she replied, moving to return to the couch.

" _What_?" Audrey asked again. She knew her sister. The look on Bethany's face wasn't a 'nothing' kind of look.

"It's nothing! Let's finish this movie and then go to bed. Up-all-night slumber parties aren't as manageable as they were when we were fourteen," she said, flopping onto the couch.

Audrey hesitated and then presently followed her sister and curled up beside her. She grabbed the remote and hit play. America Ferrera continued her emotional scene as the two sisters sat in silence. About three minutes passed.

"You know he's probably like, ten years older than you, right?" Bethany asked out of nowhere.

"What? Who?" Audrey replied, feigning surprise even though she already knew exactly who her sister meant.

"Agent Smirky," Bethany jutted her thumb back towards the door. "The one who was all eyes and Here's-my-card-baby-and-by-the-way-you're-beautiful." She deepened her voice to imitate a man's as she delivered the last part.

Audrey snorted at her sister's jab. "He never said 'baby'."

"He might as well have," she replied with a chuckle. They both looked back at the TV for a moment before Bethany added, "But you were kind of into him too, right?"

"What? No." Audrey swatted a hand through the air, batting away her sister's accusation.

"Then what was with all the smiles and the arm-touching?" Bethany demonstrated both as she asked the question.

Audrey hiked her shoulders, giving the defense, "I thought he was nice! That's all. And I feel really grateful that he's going to do something about this guy."

Bethany eyed her sister skeptically. "Alright," she drawled a moment later. "Whatever you say."

Audrey elbowed her sister. "Shut up. You're not allowed to tease me about men. I'm the oldest, remember?"

"Yeah, but I got married first so, I outrank you in the man-department. I have teasing privil-"

 Audrey silenced her sister by smothering her with a pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading my first chapter! The next one will be up soon, but in the meantime, drop a comment down below and let me know what you think so far. I love reading those. :)
> 
> Canon Inspiration for this chapter:
> 
> "I don't why, but I trusted him right away. Something about his face, the handsome part maybe." -- Audrey Nathan, S1E19
> 
> "Daniels is pathologically insane, single-minded, obsessive. His powers not only robbed him of a normal life, they also pretty much fried his brain." -- Phil Coulson, S1E19
> 
> "Marcus Daniels was an assistant at a physics lab, where they were trying to harness the electrical power of something called 'Dark Force.' And nothing bad ever happens when you work with something called 'Dark Force.'" -- Phil Coulson, S1E19


	2. Just us, together, laughing

Coulson turned down the radio as he put the car in park. He doubted that his music would be audible from outside his car, but it was still a residential area, and it was also late at night, so he felt compelled to lessen the volume anyway.

Turning to his left, he looked to the small, one-story house he was meant to be watching. The lights were on inside and the curtains were only half drawn, but Miss Nathan was nowhere in sight. Perhaps she had gone to bed and forgotten to turn off the lights in the main living area. The bedroom (at least, he assumed it was the bedroom) window was covered and dark.

Coulson pulled a granola bar from his pocket and opened it. Retrieving a small set of infrared binoculars, he started scanning the surrounding area. He brought the granola bar up to his mouth and took a bite as he searched for anyone in the darkness. The area seemed clean. He put the binoculars down into his cup-holder and leaned back in his seat.

Now, everyone's favorite part of a stakeout: the waiting.

* * *

He looked at his clock once again. He didn't know why he continued to do that, the result was always disappointing. According to the clock, he had been there for five hours now. He shifted in his seat again to keep his legs from falling asleep.

Miss Nathan had come out of her room sometime after two, to Coulson's surprise, and had moved to the couch, where she had been quietly watching television ever since. So far, Marcus Daniels had not made an appearance. Coulson wasn't sure if this should be seen as good or bad news. For the sake of the woman dimly lit by the television screen, Coulson was glad that the stalker had not come to bother her tonight. But, Coulson was also charged with the duty of bringing Mr. Daniels in for observation and evaluation, so the fact that the man still hadn't shown up was something of a setback to the current objective.

And so, he waited.

This was the second night of the watch, and Khan had seemed both surprised and relieved when Coulson, his superior, had offered to take his stakeout duty for the night. He could tell that the rookie agent wanted to question his motives, but a blank stare from Coulson had effectively squelched that curiosity (or at least its voice).

And truth be told, Coulson wasn't totally sure what his motives were either. He didn't understand why he would volunteer to fulfill a lower agent's duties when he could be sleeping peacefully in his motel room right now. But here he was, camping outside a stranger's house, keeping his eyes peeled for a man who had eluded him at every turn so far. Coulson sighed and shook his head. What was this? Why did he have such an interest in this random woman?

Coulson sighed and leaned deeper into his seat, pinching his eyes tightly shut as he messaged his forehead. When he opened his eyes again, he glanced over at the window. Miss Nathan was sitting quietly on her couch, just as she had been for he past forty-five minutes, the glow from the television screen flickering across her face. Because of the soft lighting in the house, added to the distance, Coulson couldn't be sure, but he thought she might be looking at him through the window at that moment.

His guess was confirmed when he saw her raise her hand and give him a gentle wave. Suddenly feeling like a peeping tom, Coulson was glad she couldn't see his face flush as he too lifted his hand to return the tiny wave.

He saw her get up after that, and he assumed it was to close the curtains and give herself some privacy. Instead, she disappeared out of sight.

A few moments later, she returned. This time, she walked straight up to the window and stood in front of it, holding a phone in one hand and a small business card in the other. She dialed a number and then held the phone to her ear, looking out the window to watch him.

Surprised and amused, Coulson smirked as his cell phone started to ring.

"Hello?" he answered.

"When you said you would be sending a man to watch out for me, you never mentioned that the man would be you," she observed in lieu of a formal greeting.

Coulson breathed out a little laugh and gave an equally small shrug. "It's sort of a rotation thing."

"And you drew the short straw because you had to go first?"

"No, Khan was actually here last night while your sister was over so, I'm technically the second shift."

"Oh," she said in surprise. "I don't think I noticed him out there then."

"Well, that's generally the goal. So I guess he did his job well."

"So what does it say about you that I caught you?" she teased, hugging an arm around her chest while she leaned to sit on the back of her couch.

Coulson smirked at the jab. "Probably that I'm out of practice. Haven't really been on a stakeout in a long time."

"But you're back at it for tonight, so...should I feel honored or guilty?"

"Honestly, maybe a little of both."

He heard her laugh over the phone and it made something in his own smile brighten a little bit.

"Well, it should be said that I _am_ truly grateful. Your sleepless nights won't go unappreciated. I feel safer already just knowing you're out there." She smiled, a little sheepishly. Then, suddenly remembering something, she quickly added, "You can pass my thanks on to Agent Khan, also."

"I will. And..." Coulson glanced at the clock in his car, "speaking of sleepless nights, I have to say, I'm a little surprised to see you up at three o'clock in the morning."

She sighed on the other end of the line. "Yeah, I was asleep, but...I haven't been sleeping very well lately. With everything that's going on..." She looked at him, seeming almost ashamed of her own confession. She saw him nod at her gently from the car. "I hate it that he is able to get under my skin that much. Makes me feel like I'm under his control somehow." She didn't know why she was discussing something so personal with a total stranger, but once again, there was something about this man that seemed utterly trustworthy.

Again, Coulson nodded understandingly. He knew what that felt like. "It'll pass," he reassured. "You're stronger than you think."

His voice was so gentle, and yet so sure. It caused goose bumps to sprout up her arms and Audrey found herself rather grateful for the distance between them so that he couldn't notice. She had never had that kind of reaction to a man's voice before, especially not in just a normal discussion over the phone. But Agent Coulson was so soft spoken, and his words were oddly breathy...there was just something about his voice that made him sound as kind as his eyes made him look.

She drew herself out of her reverie and almost had to keep from laughing at the strangeness of it. What was it about this man? She never thought about total strangers like that.

"I, uhh..." she began, realizing she needed to start saying something so that her mind would quit wandering. "I was just about to make a midnight snack. Can I get you anything?"

Coulson shook his head promptly. "No thank you. I brought some food with me."

"Let me guess: donuts and coffee? That's always the stakeout food in movies."

Coulson looked over to the passenger seat at the package of mini donuts and granola bars, several of the wrappers already opened and discarded. He grimaced slightly as he looked back to the lady at the window. "Well, it's not _only_ donuts." He could practically see her roll her eyes.

"Please tell me you have something in there that _isn't_ processed."

Coulson looked around himself again and triumphantly held up a small plastic bag of grapes.

Audrey squinted out the window. "What is that?"

Coulson turned the package and looked at it. "They're grapes," he said, somewhat defensively. He heard her exasperated sigh huff over the phone.

"I'm making you a sandwich," she declared.

"That really won't be nes-"

She started cutting him off with a series of nondescript noises, pulling the phone away from her ear and speaking hurriedly to it, "Nope, too late! I'mdoingitanyway! Youcantstopme!" She hung up the phone before the man on the other end could respond.

She missed the sound of Coulson's laughter as he too lowered his phone away from his ear. He sat back in his seat and tried to shake his head at her through the window, but she wasn't looking anymore, already heading to her kitchen.

Coulson chuckled and slowly dropped his gaze, taking in his surroundings with a fresh eye.

What a mess.

Unbuckling, he quickly bent over the center console to grab the empty packages and wrappers that had fallen onto the floor on the passenger's side. After a few seconds of gathering, Coulson had two fistfuls of trash, unsure of what to do with them. He looked around the car for a suitable place to hide the mess, finally noticing the glove compartment. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Miss Nathan wasn't watching, and then he opened the compartment and crammed both handfuls inside. When he was done, he looked around for anything else that was amiss.

He resisted the urge to open the mirror in his visor and check his appearance, but that didn't stop him from combing a few hasty fingers through his hair. After straightening his tie and dusting off some crumbs from his pants, it was probably the best he was going to be able to look, especially with no sleep.

He fiddled around with a few other things here and there, checking his surroundings again with the binoculars. After just a few minutes, he saw her coming out of the house, carefully carrying two plates in her hands. She wore a set of pink and white pajamas, accented by a gray cardigan and a pair of practical tennis shoes (which seemed to be hastily added to the ensemble as an afterthought). It was hard for Coulson to keep his smile contained.

Luckily, she did the smiling for him and she sneaked up to the car. Coulson rolled down his window.

"It just occurred to me," she said, coming up to the window and bending down to talk through it in hushed tones. "I'm basically blowing your cover right now, aren't I?"

"In a nutshell, yeah."

She offered a weak smile and a hike of the shoulders. "Sorry."

"I'll take your remorse into consideration," he said, trying to sound stern but also conscious to not make it sound too believable.

"Well, I do come bearing gifts," she lifted the sandwiches into view. "Does that help?"

Coulson couldn't keep his face from breaking into the soft smile. He was usually better at restraining that kind of thing, but for whatever reason, he found himself wanting to _not_ be restrained around her. That was odd to him, but also fascinating at the same time. Coulson reached a hand up to press the unlock button on his door. "Get in," he said, by way of answer.

Audrey gave a little celebratory twitch and then handed him one of the plates through his window. As she walked around to the other side of the car, Coulson looked down to examine his new dinner/breakfast.

She climbed into the seat next to him and closed the door with a loud clank. Coulson was caught off guard by the silence of the car as soon as she entered and had settled into her seat. The air felt heavier and closer to his skin than it had been before. They both stared out the windshield before each casting a sideways glance at the same time. They smiled shyly. 

Coulson looked down at his sandwich.

"It's just ham, cheese, spinach, and a little bit of tomato," Audrey explained. "I didn't know what kind of condiments you liked, so I just left them off."

"This is perfect," he assured her. "Although, you didn't have to do it."

With a simple _pffft_ and a wave of the hand, she dismissed his courtesy. "Don't even worry about it. You can consider this my thank-you for everything you're doing."

"But you've already told me thank you."

"Well, now I'm showing you. So just shut up and eat."

Coulson chuckled and picked up the sandwich. He passed one more questioning glance over to the woman beside him, and just smirked when she moved her own sandwich in his direction and said, "Cheers." They tapped their sandwiches together and then started eating.

The cabin of the car soon filled with the contented sounds of chewing as they both let their gazes wander aimlessly around their dark surroundings.

"You have no idea what a relief it was to look out the window and see you parked out here," she observed after a considerable silence. "I kept being afraid to look. After a while...I just kind of stopped looking out my front window...afraid it would be him."

Coulson looked over at her in concern. But she didn't meet his gaze, just kept staring out the window.

"And it'd be one thing if it only affected me. But it doesn't. My neighbor said that he scared her kids the other day, that they didn't feel safe playing in the yard when he was out there." 

Coulson scowled. "When was this?"

"Three days ago now. Or four, I guess, technically," she amended, gesturing to the clock. "And that's not right, you know? It's not just that he's harassing me, it's gone beyond that now. Now my whole neighborhood feels uneasy, with the blackouts and the stalking...it's just uncomfortable."

"Blackouts?"

She turned and looked at him blankly for a few seconds. "Yes, blackouts," she exclaimed, slapping a hand to her forehead. "How could I forget to mention the blackouts? I'm sorry. I guess I was just a little...distracted when you came over the other night."

He quirked an eyebrow. Distracted? As in, distracted by him? Was that too presumptuous for him to assume? He wasn't sure if that's what she meant, but there was a small part of him that hoped that's what she meant. It felt funny to take that as a compliment, but that didn't stop him from wanting to anyway.

She seemed to notice her ambiguous wording, and also the way he was apparently interpreting it, so she quickly moved to correct it. "I just mean, I don't often have many government officials showing up at my door at ten o'clock at night."

He smirked and softly shook his head as he said, "Not gonna lie, I'm glad that's the case."

She laughed and Coulson's smirk became a smile. He quickly looked down and took another bite of his sandwich.

Audrey smiled at him when she noticed his slightly shy response. She watched him in amusement as she followed suit and also took a bite. When he looked back up at her, she let their eyes clash without quickly looking away.

"Yes," she continued quietly. "After he told me I was his 'light in the darkness', he started cutting the power to my house, then to my whole block. I think he was trying to send a message of some kind. That's when I realized I couldn't stay here any longer and I went to be with my sister in Eugene for a few days."

Coulson frowned in thought, grateful to be back in business mode. "And you're sure it was him? Cutting the power, I mean. Did you ever see him do it?"

She sighed and dropped her eyes to her lap. "That's the same thing the police asked," she said, disheartened. Her next words were rushed and defensive. "No. I didn't see him do it. I can't prove it was him. He was always right in front of me when he did it, but...it always _felt_ like it was him. And I can't explain what I mean by that."

Coulson shook his head as he saw her start to get upset. He didn't like the idea of her equating him with a bunch of unhelpful cops who all thought she was crazy. It was suddenly very important to him that she think differently of him. "Hey," he said, reaching a hand towards her, but letting it fall short and land on the gearshift instead. "You don't have to explain it," he said comfortingly. "I believe you, Miss Nathan."

She looked back to him with a certain look of wonder in her eyes. "You do?"

He nodded. Lifting one shoulder slightly, that nod turned into a marveling shake of the head as he observed, "You're a smart woman, perceptive, clearly not crazy. I have no reason to think you'd be making this up. I trust that what you're saying must be true. I don't know how; I don't even know why. But if you say this man's been stalking you and cutting off your power, then until I see evidence to demonstrate the contrary, I'd be a fool not to believe you."

"Wow," she said after a moment of awe. "That's...That's very refreshing to hear. Thank you. Most cops have just written me off since I can't prove anything. Like my word alone doesn't count for anything."

"Well," he said, looking into her eyes. "I'm not a cop."

Silence overtook the car after that, and they both eventually turned their attention back to finishing their sandwiches. Coulson's eyes landed on the clock, the soft green bars forming 3:26 in block numbers. "Not that I don't appreciate the company," he began, "But perhaps you should revisit the whole sleeping thing. It's pretty late." He nodded to the clock for emphasis, noticing her subtle groan when she read the time.

"You're right. I have a thing I have to be at in five hours. And as much as I'd _like_ to sleep through it, I don't think my colleague would appreciate that." She looked at him with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry."

He snorted. "It's fine."

"It doesn't seem fair that I get to go inside and sleep and you have to just sit here awake all night."

"It is fair, Miss Nathan, believe me." He lifted the empty plate off of his lap and held it out to her. "Remember, I'm the one who actually signed up for this."

With a conceding shrug of the shoulder, she took the plate and set it atop her own. "Okay well, thank you again, I guess." She opened the door, causing the light in the cabin to come on and illuminate her face more fully. He could see the tired bags forming under her eyes, and Coulson was silently grateful that she was agreeing to get some sleep.

After another moment's hesitation, she finally drew herself out of the car. Bending over to look at him once more through the open door. "I guess this is goodnight then. Or, good morning?"

He smiled at her and gave a small nod. "Goodnight, Miss Nathan. Pleasant dreams."

She returned the smile brilliantly. And with that, she closed the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed chapter 2! If you did, leave a comment down below and let me know your favorite parts. As always, I love hearing from you guys. Your comments mean the world to me. :)
> 
> Canon Inspiration for this chapter: 
> 
> "I begged him to leave me alone. He just stood there, saying I was his 'light.' I didn't understand what he meant until he started blacking out my entire block." -- Audrey Nathan, S1E19


	3. He promised me he would stop Daniels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys that this chapter took longer to post than normal. I am in the middle of a move, so things are a little hectic around here right now. But this chapter is a fun one, so hopefully it will be worth the wait. Thank you for your patience!

Coulson awoke to the sound of someone knocking on his motel door. Pulling himself fully to consciousness, he groaned as he pushed himself up off of the mattress and lumbered over to the door, barely remembering to grab his sidearm in the process. He cracked the door open, a streak of harsh sunlight striping his face. He squinted against it.

"Khan," he said, opening the door further and clicking the safety on his gun back into place.

The younger agent entered the small motel room and handed a cup of warm coffee to his superior.

Coulson hummed a vague thanks and brought the cup of life to his lips. "What time is it?" he asked after swallowing. Even as he asked the question, he squinted over to the dim digital clock on the nightstand.

"Almost fifteen hundred, sir," Khan responded. "You asked me to wake you for our check in. We're due for our call in less than ten minutes."

"Okay. Thank you, Khan." Coulson walked over to the small sink on the back wall of the bedroom and bent to splash his face in the cool water to wake himself up.

"I take it your stakeout last night was as uneventful as mine?" the young agent asked, half sitting, half falling onto the couch. Crossing his legs, Khan tried to get comfortable on the stiff sofa.

Coulson looked up into the mirror as water dripped from his face. He recalled the unexpected, late night dinner date he had had with their mark, and a tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 'Uneventful' wouldn't be the word Coulson would use to describe last night. But he was in no hurry to admit that to his partner. "I suppose," he said at last, taking a folded towel from the counter and dabbing his face dry.

"May I ask you something, sir?"

Coulson turned around to face the other agent, leaning back against the counter as he dried a few stray streaks off of his neck. "Go right ahead, agent."

Khan seemed to hesitate, unsure how to phrase the question, or if it was even one he ought to be asking. At last, he looked back to his superior and asked, "What exactly is our play with this woman?

"Our play?" Coulson repeated, eyebrow rising at the term.

"What I mean, sir, is...what exactly do you hope to accomplish by watching her?"

"Well..." Coulson folded the towel back into fourths and then tossed it onto the counter again, shoving away from the sink with a jerk of his hip. "I hope to keep Miss Nathan safe, for one."

"Yes sir, but, is that really why we're here? Isn't our primary obligation to locate Daniels and bring him in?"

Coulson rolled down his sleeves and buttoned them as he came back towards the center of the room. "Our primary obligation is always to the community at large, Agent Khan. And Miss Nathan is a part of that community." He sat down on the corner of the bed and bent to pull his shoes to him from where he had kicked them off a few hours earlier. "Innocent people, Khan, protecting them is the entire reason why S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded. You can consider this the Intervention part of 'Intervention Enforcement and Logistics'."

From his place on the sofa, Agent Khan slowly nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"As far as Marcus Daniels goes," Coulson continued, finishing tying one shoe and moving on to the next. "I'm still convinced this is the best way to reach him. He's gone off the radar everywhere else. Miss Nathan is the only person who's claimed to have seen him in the past hundred hours. And if he's as persistent as she says, I'm betting we'll be seeing him too if we stick close by." At that, Coulson straightened up and looked back at the clock on the nightstand. 2:59pm.

"Does that satisfy your question?" he asked, looking back at his partner patiently.

Khan nodded after a brief moment of thought, "Yes sir, I suppose it does."

Coulson smiled. "Good. Time to call in," he said, stretching to retrieve his phone from the nightstand. As he punched in the familiar phone number, he too considered Khan's question and the answer he had just given. This was about protecting an innocent woman. That's why he was doing this.

He hit the "Speaker" button and Khan sat up and leaned closer to the phone, the ringing tone filling the room. That was it. He just wanted to protect an innocent woman. There wasn't any other, hidden objective. As the phone rang, Coulson tried not to let his mind wander back to last night, or the way she had smiled at him, or the way he had felt when she did.

Intervention. That was his job. And that was all he was doing.

* * *

Coulson sped down the street, taking the turn into the neighborhood a bit faster than he should have. He came to a screeching halt, parking and stepping out of the car in what felt like one fluid motion. Khan was already hurrying up to his boss.

"What happened? She called me," Coulson said, his voice laced with urgency as he made his way towards the dark house. The entire block was totally void of light, only illuminated by the moon and stars.

Khan quickly fell into step beside the other agent. "He was here, sir. Daniels. I tried to confront him, but he took off behind those houses when I announced myself. I pursued, but I lost him a few houses over. I was on my way to call y-"

"Contact HQ. Get a sat-feed up. I want eyes on him in two minutes."

"Yes sir," Khan answered, already out of breath from his chase.

"And get someone here who can get the power back on," by the time the words were out of his mouth, Coulson was bounding up the steps of the porch. He heard the other agent hurry away as he brought a fist up to pound on the door. "Miss Nathan?" he called.

He listened closely for any sounds on the other side of the door, but all he could hear was his own heart pounding in his head from the adrenaline. He slammed his fist against the door louder. "Miss Nathan!" Coulson dropped his hand to check the door handle and was surprised and disappointed in equal parts to feel it give to his pressure.

He creaked the door open and took a step inside. "Miss Nathan?" he called, more softly than before.

"Stay away! I'm warning you!" a scared voice replied. It was coming from the back hallway.

Coulson held up his hands and let the door close behind him. "Audrey, it's me."

He saw a whitish form slowly emerge from the dark shadows of the hallway. "Agent Coulson?" she asked, stepping further into the living room, clutching something large, dark, and long in her hands. It rattled in her shaky grasp.

He nodded in earnest, though she probably couldn't see it in the dark. "Yeah, it's me. I got your call, but you cut out. I was afraid something had happened."

"That's because he was here. He was here and he cut the power, again!" She stood up straighter and padded all the way over to him, barely making any noise except for the rattling in her hands.

"What are you holding?" Coulson asked, trying to make out its shape in the dark.

"It's a crossbow."

Coulson's brows leapt to the ceiling, and he couldn't help the startled laugh that came out of him. "A what?"

"We used to go hunting with my dad. I don't even know if it still works," she explained hastily, her voice still shaking.

"Kay, well, until we do..." Coulson said cautiously, reaching out to gently touch the side of the bow and angle it away from himself.

Audrey did one step better and bent over to place the weapon on the ground beside them. Then she hurried into Coulson and wrapped her arms around him, tucking her head into his chest. "Is he still out there?"

Coulson froze at the sudden contact. His eyes wide, but seeing virtually nothing. In time, he lowered his hands to place them against her back and hold her close, smoothing his fingers over her soft pajamas. "No," he answered softly, dipping his head a little, but not allowing it to rest against hers. "No, he ran off. I have my people trying to track him now though. We'll find him."

She sighed (or was it a sob?), and snuggled in closer. "Ugh, I'm so tired of this! He comes out of nowhere and it's terrifying!"

"I know," he soothed, letting a hand come up to smooth her hair gently.

"I don't know what he wants from me. I think, I think he might try to hurt me."

He clutched her a little tighter to his chest. "I won't let that happen. I promise. He won't hurt you. I won't give him the chance." It was a fool's promise. Somewhere in the rational side of his brain, Coulson knew that. In that same part of his brain, he knew how inappropriate this was, and was confounded by how natural it all felt. But that still couldn't keep him from meaning what he said to her now. Fool's promise or no, he meant every word of it.

Her shoulders shook against him as she cried. She rubbed her cheek against his tie, and Coulson was barely sure he heard the quiet words "thank you" amidst the tears.

The front door swung open just then and Coulson was blinded by the beam of a flashlight as it landed on the pair. "Sat-feeds were inconclusive, sir," Khan said, his voice hesitant and maybe a little embarrassed by what he had unknowingly intruded upon. "He got away."

Coulson bit back a curse and tightened his grip when he heard Audrey wail a little louder in response to the news. Ordinarily, he would be disarmed at allowing a subordinate to see him like this, but in that moment, there was nothing in the world that could make him let go of this woman. He wasn't sure how he would salvage professional boundaries again after this, but he also didn't care. Not right now.

"And the power?" Coulson asked, trying to sound as authoritative as possible.

"Power Company's en route. But I could try the breaker."

Audrey sniffed and pulled back in his grasp. "Fuse box's on the side of the house with the garage," she informed.

"Get on it then," Coulson ordered.

"Yes sir," and with that, Khan turned to leave.

When he was gone, the room went dark and quite again. But it couldn't return to the way it was before, not totally. Not after Khan had shone his light on the two of them, in more ways than one. Suddenly, it was like they both saw themselves and their position for the first time. Coulson could feel the self-awareness creep back into Audrey's posture with every passing second. In time, he let his hands drop back to his sides and she pulled away fully.

It took them a second for their eyes to readjust to the lack of light, so Coulson couldn't see her timid expression, only the way she kept her head bowed low. "I'm sorry," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I didn't mean to fall all over you like that." She let out an embarrassed little laugh.

"Please," he said, his voice more earnest than he intended it to be. "...No need to apologize. For anything."

He saw her head raise to look at him more fully. He was overcome with the desire to pull her to him again, but he didn't. He locked his arms to his sides with the fiercest order, like letting them fall even an inch away from their present position would result in the exposure of his worst vulnerability. He watched as she shifted her weight slightly, bringing herself just a little bit towards him. Without thinking, he did the same.

The lights kicked on then, and they both jumped back and shielded their eyes, caught off guard by the abrupt brightness. Instantly, heat rose to his cheeks, and he was fairly certain to hers as well. It was like someone had just turned on the stage lights at a play, and the two of them hadn't finished getting any of the settings or costumes in order yet.

For the briefest flash of a moment, right before the brightness of the lights caused him to blink his eyes tightly shut and pull away, he had seen the look that was in her eyes as they were drawing closer. And the flash of the light worked to burn that image into his retinas. He had no clue, no way of knowing what she intended to convey with that look. And more than likely, she hadn't intended to convey anything. It was a look she was giving in private, one he was never supposed to see. But he saw it nonetheless. And now he couldn't tell what it meant. But he knew that he was fond of that look. Instantly fond. And he felt quite certain that he would give up almost anything for the chance to see it again.

Audrey looked down at her pajamas and laughed shyly, noticing for the first time that he was fully dressed in his customary suit. She straightened her top and tucked her hair behind her ear again self-consciously. "Uh, thank you, Agent Coulson. I...I really appreciate you responding so quickly."

He bowed his gaze modestly. He wished that she wouldn't feel embarrassed, even though he knew he was setting a poor example in that regard. "You're quite welcome," he said gently.

"And, thank you for the hug." Her cheeks hit an even darker shade of red.

Adorable. It wasn't a word Coulson used very often, but in that moment, he could think of no better word to describe this woman. He found everything about her exceedingly endearing. He smiled at her. "You're welcome for that as well." Then thinking of it, he added, "It was my pleasure."

She looked up at him to judge if he was making fun of her, but all she saw was total seriousness in his gaze.

That was overstepping a line. Probably. But Coulson couldn't bring himself to regret it. Not yet anyway. Instead, he merely smiled and coaxed her to do the same. "Are you going to be okay here?" he asked. Then, looking down at the crossbow by their feet, he added, "You and your trusty, medieval weaponry?"

She laughed and bent over to pick up the bow. "Hey!" she said in mock offense. "It's more like...early 1980's weaponry."

"Oh, I beg your pardon," Coulson chimed, glad that they could easily slip back into a lighter tone. "But the question still stands, will you be alright?"

She looked around her living room, and then her gaze drifted to her front window, looking out into the yard where her nightmare had stood only a short time ago. "I think so," she said after a while.

It was one of the worst performances Coulson had ever heard in only three short words. "Are you certain, because...I could stay the night..."

She cocked an amused eyebrow at him, and Coulson instantly wished he could edit his phrasing. "I just mean, on the couch, I could stay," he amended hurriedly, wincing at the odd, Yoda-like wording.

She narrowed her eyes at him, and he couldn't tell if she was trying to make up her mind, or if she was just enjoying watching him squirm while she did. Perhaps it was a little bit of both. "I have an early morning tomorrow," she said, mild hesitation in her tone. "I wouldn't want to disturb you while I was getting ready."

Coulson hesitated at that. There were two ways of interpreting that answer: either she was sincerely concerned for his ability to get good rest (a concern which he could easily assuage), or she was trying to politely persuade him to retract his offer. If it was the latter, he would certainly be overstepping his professional courtesy if he pressed the issue any further. She was giving him an easy out, a way of saving himself any more embarrassment by just bowing out graciously. Whatever tension was building between them could easily be snuffed out if he would only say "Well, in that case..." and return to being Phil Coulson, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

But then it happened. This minuscule, lighting-quick glimmer that flashed over her eyes. It was an echo of the look he had seen there only moments ago when the power first returned. He still couldn't name it, but it was there. Just a hint, and then it was gone, like the aftershocks of an earthquake. But it was enough, enough to bolster his courage for just one more gamble. "I'm a pretty early riser." He hazarded a questioning smile.

She breathed out a small puff of a laugh, matching his smile with one of her own. 

* * *

True to his word, Coulson was already up and about by the time Audrey emerged from her bedroom the following morning. She wore a simple gray jacket and running shorts, coiling the strands of headphones around her fingers as she walked towards the kitchen and sniffed the air indulgently. "Now this is a nice surprise."

Coulson glanced over to her as he sprinkled some shredded cheese into the frying pan. He tilted the pan to give her a look. "Scrambled eggs," he said, "diced tomatoes, ham, spinach, and a bit of cheese." He poked the bag a little so he could read its label clearly, then he turned back to Audrey. " _Mild cheddar_ ," he noted, as if it were a delicacy.

She beamed at him. "Sounds colorful," she said with an approving nod.

"That's how you know it's good," he smirked. The agent chopped the ingredients in the pan with the edge of the spatula and stirred, the pan hissing at the food as it shifted around. "How did you sleep?" he asked. It didn't come out sounding like the average morning greeting. Instead, it was laced with genuine curiosity and concern.

She managed to contain her smile at his thoughtfulness. "Relatively well, as a matter of fact."

He nodded, lifting the frying pan off of the stove and turning the appliance off. "I'm glad to hear that."

Audrey went to the cabinet and retrieved two plates. "And how about you? Did you sleep alright?" she asked, turning back towards him.

He chuckled as he served the food onto one of the plates she held towards him. "Actually...I slept _exceptionally_ well. That couch is kind of amazing."

She laughed, "Yeah, I've actually heard that before. It's a nap trap."

"You could have warned me." He moved the pan to the sink and sprayed it cool, steam lifting off of its surface like a ghost.

She looked down at the plates and scowled to note that one of them remained empty. "Wait, aren't you going to have any?"

"I'm afraid not. Yesterday was the first time Mr. Daniels has been spotted in quite some time. My superiors are expecting a report soon. I need to confer with Agent Khan and make sure I have all the facts straight before I make the call." He relished the look of veiled disappointment that crossed her face while he simultaneously pretended not to notice it.

"Oh," she said, looking down at the empty plate with a frown. "Well, in that case, you need to at least have a cup of coffee before you go." As she spoke she turned and placed the two plates on the counter and retrieved a mug from the rack. The automatic coffee maker had already prepared the morning's first pot, so she swiftly grabbed it and began to pour.

"Miss Nathan, that really won't be neces-"

"Itstoolate. Imalreadydoingit!" she said, and Coulson had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. His mind instantly went back to his first stakeout here, when she insisted on making him a sandwich at three o'clock in the morning.

"Honestly," he tried again, "I really have to get going."

She turned back to him with a certain regal grace and held the steaming mug up towards him. "You can return the mug later," she said, her eyes daring him to object a third time.

But he didn't, he only sighed and looked at her with a halfhearted warning. He took the mug with two hands. "Thank you," he said in defeat.

She walked him to the front door. "I appreciate you staying, and really everything you're doing. It's above and beyond." She opened the door and looked at him. She would never be able to convey her gratitude enough.

"You're more than welcome," he said, dipping his head as he moved past her and onto the porch. "But you know, you really don't have to keep thanking me. It's all part of the job, and besides," when he reached the bottom step, he turned and looked up at her, "I consider it a real privilege."

She smiled at him and leaned her cheek against the door. "You're an interesting man, Agent Phil Coulson."

Coulson's face lit up. "And an honest one," he said. He stepped backwards without turning around. "Good morning, Miss Nathan."

She continued to smile and just shook her head. "Good morning, Agent Coulson."

When he finally turned away, he heard her shut the door. And he paused, hesitating on her driveway like he was waiting for something, and when it didn't come, he turned right back around and walked up to the porch again. He knocked against the door.

"Forget something?" Audrey asked coyly when she answered a second later.

He raised a brow at her expectantly. "I was about to ask you the same thing."

She scowled in obvious confusion until he reached forward to tap a finger against the door handle.

"Lock your doors, Miss Nathan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this newest chapter, and as always, I love hearing your feedback whenever you have a chance! :)
> 
> Canon Inspiration for this chapter:
> 
> "The principle S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded upon was pure: protection. One word. Sometimes to protect one man from himself, other times to protect the planet from an alien invasion from another universe. (It's a broad job description.) But the belief that drives us all is the same, whether it's one man or all mankind: That they're worth saving. That truth lives inside you, Coulson. Before it was torn apart, S.H.I.E.L.D. was a lot of moving parts. But guys like you were the heart." -- Nick Fury, S1E22
> 
> "He promised me he would stop Daniels." -- Audrey Nathan, S1E19
> 
> "We've got steak (grass-fed), fingerling potatoes, kale (organic). It's basic, but I do good basic." -- Phil Coulson, S2E3


	4. Cellists don't get many groupies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has been commenting on this little story so far. It means so much to me to read your thoughts and feedback! So keep it up! :) You guys are amazing.

The bulky case thumped against the doorframe and Audrey grimaced, patting the case apologetically as she scurried towards the small cluster of musicians giving her the stink eye. "I'm sorry I'm late everyone. I've had...the _craziest_ week."

Janet, the violinist, smiled at her and pulled the music stand aside so Audrey had a clear path to her chair. "It's fine. We weren't waiting long," she said, watching as the cellist pulled her instrument from the case.

Oliver frowned at the violinist from behind his bass and Janet just rolled her eyes. "Can we just move this along, please? Some of us have other appointments we need to honor," the stocky man grumbled.

"Oh please," Janet said with a wave of her hand. "You got here like, four minutes ago! Give Audrey some time to catch her breath. We have the hall for a full three hours; we can wait another five minutes."

Audrey passed a grateful glance over at the violinist, balancing the cello against her knees as she waxed her bow.

The crotchety bassist leaned over to the conductor and whispered loudly, "This is why we should have stuck with Charice. She's infinitely more reliable."

Audrey looked up at the man sharply. Charice was the first chair cellist in the orchestra, and Audrey was only the second chair. This special quartet was the first time she had been given a chance to perform independently from the other cellists. It was only five pieces, part of a special tribute night to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, but Audrey had lost herself in excitement at the chance to play a lead line for once. She locked eyes with the offensive bassist, a dumbfounded look on her face. "As reliable as your incurable rudeness? Cause that'd really be something."

Oliver flustered, bubbling out his puffy cheeks and huffing, while Janet just snorted and dipped her head politely. James, the ever-emotionless violist, stayed true to his character and didn't respond past shifting his weight in his chair.

"Alright, alright," Wyatt consoled, waving his hands and baton to regain some control. He tried to hide his own smile as he said, "No need to get hostile. We're all here now. And Audrey, we'd ask you pay a little more attention to the clock in the future. I hope I needn't remind you that this is our last rehearsal time before Wednesday, and it wouldn't do to have any band members arriving late come performance time."

Audrey nodded and poised her instrument between her legs, taking the bow in her right hand. "My apologies. It won't happen again." She bowed her head with a tiny smirk and set about tuning her cello.

An hour later, she was transported by the music vibrating out from beneath her fingers. She swayed against the notes and remained completely unaware of the dark figure who entered at the back of the music hall and took a seat.

* * *

"And this is?" Khan asked as the car pulled to a stop.

Coulson moved the gearshift into park and pointed up at the building through the windshield. He left the engine running. "This is where Miss Nathan performs. As I understand it, she's in there rehearsing right now. I believe Mr. Daniels was likely dissatisfied by how his visit turned out last night, so it's possible that he might try to see her again today. And for that reason...we secure the area. I'm going inside. You do a perimeter sweep and then report back to me. You can use the car, but don't rush through it. Anything suspicious, you let me know."

Khan nodded and got out of the car. Coulson did too, leaving his door open for the younger agent to take the driver's seat. "And if I see Daniels?" Khan asked, walking around the car. "What if he bolts again when I announce myself?"

Coulson glanced around the vast parking lot of the performance center. "Well, then..." he looked back to the other agent and clasped a fatherly hand on his shoulder, "run faster this time."

Khan flashed a boyish smile and laughed. "Hey, that was a damn good chase, sir. I'd like to see you do any better."

Coulson shoved him towards the door. "Shut up and get in the car, agent."

"I was hopping fences at a full sprint! Like a cheetah!" Khan argued, even as he took a seat and Coulson shut the door in his face. "It was a beautiful thing!" came his muffled voice.

Coulson drew his finger in a circle, bending to yell through the window, "Perimeter sweep, Agent Khan!"

The other agent chuckled and buckled while Coulson just turned and started to walk away with a smile and a shake of the head.

Coulson's eyes were drawn upwards as soon as he stepped foot in the building's lobby. Hanging above his head was a beautiful expanse of brightly-colored, thick shards of undulating glass, backlit by soft, white light bulbs. It was something of a cross between a light fixture and a sculpture, but it certainly grabbed one's attention at first sight. The carpet below him was a bold royal blue and tightly compact. Wheelchair accessibility, he supposed.

The agent followed signs for the concert hall, soon finding the theater's main, ground floor entrance. Just as he grasped the door handle, he heard an attention-seeking cough behind him. Coulson turned slowly, to be greeted by a tubby security guard.

"This is a private rehearsal, sir," he said, resting his hand on the Taser at his belt. "Can I help you?"

"As a matter of fact," Coulson gingerly pinched the edge of his jacket and pulled it open, making sure his movements were slow and deliberately transparent as he reached into his inner pocket and pulled out his badge. Tasers were unpleasant, to be sure, though not entirely impossible to handle. Nevertheless, Coulson wanted to get through this day without having fifty-thousand volts rocketing through his body. "My name is Agent Coulson. I'm with the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division." He handed his credentials over to the suspicious guard.

The other man examined the badge with a scowled expression. "Is that like the FBI?" he asked.

Coulson jutted out his lower lip and tilted his head in a little shrug. "Like...the cooler version of the FBI."

The young guard bounced his eyebrows and handed back the badge. "Awesome. What can I do for you?"

Inwardly, Coulson cringed at how easy that was. But he wouldn't bemoan a civilian's willing cooperation. It made his job easier. "I'm here investigating a case. I believe a man wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D. may be coming here, or may possibly already be in the building." Coulson pointed up at the domed security camera behind him without even looking, "Do these cameras work?"

The other man nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Take me there."

A few minutes later, Coulson was hunched over a desk, staring at the shifting, black and white surveillance feeds. The cameras were concentrated to areas that would house the greatest numbers of the public on performance nights: ticket office, lobby, elevators, entrances, and hallways. "Are there any views from within the auditorium?" Coulson asked. 

"Uh, yeah..." the guard shifted past the government agent and clicked around on the page. A few seconds later, several live streams of the concert hall were fluttering to the screen.

Coulson dipped his head and scowled at the images. There were a total of five people on the stage, a conductor and four musicians. They all moved and swayed with the music, matching the swooping dance of the conductor's baton. His eyes settled on the grainy image of the woman in jeans and the floral peasant top, stroking the strings of a cello with long, slow passes of her bow. He watched the graceful concentration on her face, her head tilted back towards the ceiling as she played. The video feed did not include any audio, but astonishingly enough, Coulson decided it was scarcely needed in order to appreciate the beauty of such a show. Just the image alone was enrapturing. To his own surprise, Coulson realized he could watch her play all day. It was something else.

The conductor waved his hands and cut off the song, leaning in towards his sheet of music and pointing to something on the page. All of the musicians picked up pencils and searched for the measure in question.

Coulson let his eyes move to the other squares on the screen, each one showing a different angle of the auditorium. Row after row of empty seats, aisle after aisle of abandoned steps. Then...

"There," Coulson said, pointing. A lone figure sat at the back of the hall, hunched down in a chair with his arms crossed over his chest. "Who is that?"

The guard scowled and bent low towards the screen. "I...I don't know. No one's supposed to be in there. It's a closed rehearsal."

Coulson instantly pushed away from the desk, heading for the door. He was out in the hallway, headed back the way he had come before the guard could even turn around.

"Wait!" the guard called. "This way's faster!"

Coulson turned then and followed as the guard led him through a series of back hallways. He brought a finger up to his ear. "Agent Khan, standby. I may have eyes on our man."

They took an unexpected turn through a locked door and Coulson soon found himself backstage, the music flooding his ears as he drew closer. He walked out onto the stage unceremoniously, startling the musicians out of play.

Three things happened simultaneously then. The violinist gave a short scream and clutched her heart in shock, the conductor stood incredulously and asked, "What's the meaning of this? This rehearsal is _private_!" and Audrey locked eyes with Coulson and began to cautiously rise from her seat, "Agent Coulson?"

Coulson just held out a calming hand to her and continued his march towards the front of the stage.

"You know this guy?" the conductor asked Audrey as Coulson brought a hand up to shade his eyes against the bright stage lights. He peered out into the audience and saw as the dark figure slowly stood.

He held up his wallet, the silver badge shooting a sharp, gleaming reflection of light dancing across the auditorium's middle seating. "Mr. Daniels! Agent Coulson with S.H.I.E.L.D. I'd like to have a word with-"

Daniels immediately broke into a full sprint and bounded out the door.

"Damn," Coulson uttered beneath his breath, ducking his head to leap off the edge of the stage and race up the aisle. He brought a finger up to his ear. "Suspect on the move," he panted out, "Headed towards the main entrance. Repeat, north-western entrance!"

A second later, Khan's voice came over the radio. _"Acknowledged. I have eyes on him."_

Coulson shoved the door opened and staggered into the lobby, eyes moving to the performance center's main entrance, catching sight of the heavy glass door as it slowly swung shut. He hurried and caught the door before it could latch, pushing through it effortlessly.

Immediately, he saw Daniels running across the parking lot, parallel to the side of the building. The suspect diverted when agent Khan appeared out of nowhere, coming from around the corner at a full sprint.

"Mr. Daniels! Stand down!" the younger agent called, gaining on the other man with impressive speed. "I repeat!" Khan said.

Coulson followed the other two men at his quickest pace. The kid hadn't been bragging earlier; he really was fast, and Coulson hated to admit that his batteries were draining rapidly. But he pushed forward, determined to catch up to the chase if it killed him.

"Stand! DOWN!" Agent Khan ordered as he leapt into the air, wrapping his arms around Daniels' waist and pulling them both to the ground, crashing and rolling over each other in a massive heap.

Coulson's brows leapt to his hairline at the impressive tackle. "Attaboy, Khan," he mused under his breath, allowing his pace to decrease subtly. He pulled his weapon as he drew closer to the tangled mess of bodies.

Daniels and Khan scuffled on the ground, one trying to hold on, the other trying to pull free. "Leave me alone!" an unfamiliar voice rasped out amidst flailing limbs.

"By order of the Strategic...Homeland, Intervention-" Khan recited against the blows to his gut.

Daniels wrestled his way to the top position. "I said, LEAVE ME ALONE!" The suspect reached out and touched Khan's face with his middle finger and thumb. Instantly, Khan's aggression died off and his arms dropped limply to his side. His jaw slacked open and he gasped for air, his skin draining to a foggy gray.

Coulson aimed his weapon, "Daniels! Stand down! Stand down or I'll shoot!" he called frantically.

But Daniels didn't even look up.

Coulson steadied his aim, mindful of his partner, and pulled the trigger. Three shots, sporadically spaced, echoed across the parking lot. That should get his attention.

It did. Daniels slowly pulled away from Khan and stood, turning to look at Coulson. The agent's eyes dropped, expecting to see the marks of his shooting, but there were none. Not so much as a graze.

He missed? How was that even possible? The target was barely twenty feet away! Coulson searched for signs of a bulletproof vest. The suspect wore a large, densely-woven black jacket, the hood pulled low over his eyes, but no vest. Perhaps the fabric was treated somehow?

As he straightened, Daniels' face contorted in discomfort, pulling his arm up to further shield himself from the bright midday sun.

Coulson aimed his weapon at Daniels' chest and glanced down at his lifeless partner in panic. "What did you do to him!"

"Don't try to follow me," Daniels warned, and with that, he turned and bolted.

Coulson marched steadily forward and unloaded four more shots, certain that he hit him this time. But the bullets just dropped, barely reaching their target before tinkling to the pavement, like drops of lead rain.

When Coulson reached his partner, he dropped to a knee and felt for the agent's pulse. Nothing. Knowing that there was no way he could catch up to Daniels, and fully aware that they'd now need a new tactic before engaging with him again, Coulson lowered his weapon and looked down at Khan.

"Come on, Khan. Work with me," Coulson said in a shaky voice, slapping the flats of his fingers against the other agent's cheek gently. He pinned two fingers to his neck and checked for a pulse again. Coulson's eyes darted on the pavement as he concentrated all of his focus to the tips of his fingers. "Damn," he whispered, pulling away. The agent folded one hand over the other, interlocking his fingers, and began chest compressions. "Come on, Jullian! Come on. Come on..." His fingers returned to Khan's neck.

Coulson shut his eyes and sighed, leaning back on his haunches. His jaw clenched shut and his head lolled forward in a little shake. When his eyes opened again, they were underlined with a thin stripe of moisture. 

The other agent had gone completely cold, like a day-old corpse. His eyes were fully dilated and his skin a ghoulish gray. Coulson scowled and picked up a small bead from Khan's shirt. It was the tip of a bullet, perfectly shaped as if it had been removed with pliers, showing no signs of impact of any kind.

Stunned and perplexed, Coulson slowly rose to his feet. Looking up at where the unique Mr. Daniels had disappeared behind a brick wall. He turned slowly, eyes scanning the parking lot. He was at a total loss. He turned back towards the performance center, surprised to be greeted by the small cluster of musicians on the steps of the music hall.

His eyes locked with Audrey and they shared a desperate look. Phil gulped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for reading! I now there weren't a lot of shippy moments in this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed in nonetheless. If you did, leave a comment and make my day! :)
> 
> Canon Inspiration for this Chapter:
> 
> "She was a cellist. Second chair. Portland symphony. I saw her play whenever I was in town. Ever see a beautiful woman play the cello? ...It's something else." -- Phil Coulson, S1E10
> 
> "Daniels was exposed, ended up being able to absorb energy, all types. [But the human brain, the heart, run on electrical impulses.] Exactly. He can kill with one touch." -- Phil Coulson to Jemma Simmons, S1E19


	5. Phil never lied to me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bad news is: this chapter took a long time to get posted, and I'm sorry. The good news is: my move is over and things should start to calm down now, so hopefully the next chapters should come with more regularity. Enjoy!

Coulson stepped out of the helicopter, smoothly buttoning his suit jacket as the blades above him sliced through the twilit air. A small team of S.H.I.E.L.D. medical personnel rushed towards the aircraft, moving to unlatch the stretcher from the back seat.

"Be careful with that," Coulson said to the nearest S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

The young man tossed a look over his shoulder, bending to grab hold of the black body bag and pull it towards himself roughly. "Wha?" he yelled over the sound of the propellers.

Coulson laid a forceful hand on the agent's shoulder and yanked the kid to him. "I said be careful with him!" he shouted into the agent's ear.

The kid shook in fear and fumbled out an answer, "Yes sir! You've got it, sir! I'm sorry!"

Coulson tossed one more glance back at the black bag, a scowl setting into his forehead.

"Agent Coulson?" another voice called.

Coulson turned away from the other agents and let them get back to work removing the body. The woman who greeted him looked familiar.

"I'm Agent Dwyer," she said, extending her hand. "Thank you for making such a hasty return to base. I'm only sorry it was under these circumstances."

Coulson shook the hand she offered, giving a small nod. "Thank you, Agent Dwyer."

"I've been instructed by Commander Hill to escort you to the conference room. She and some other officials are there now, prepared to start the meeting."

Coulson nodded again and gestured for her to lead the way.

* * *

Maria Hill held up a small, plastic bag, squinting at the surface texture of the bullet tip within. She took her time, let the rest of the room wait in silence while she examined the evidence. "And you say every round was like this?" she asked after some time.

"Yes ma'am," Coulson answered, his hands folded in his lap at the conference table. "The others are on their way down to ballistics right now."

"Could it have been some sort of force field?" Agent Bomer asked, a chief developer in the sci-ops division.

Coulson inclined his head to the side. "I would hesitate to rule anything out this early, but...it wasn't like any force field I've ever seen. This was much too concentrated, only covering his own person. I'm talking within an inch or two. The bullets made it all the way to his body, and just dropped."

Hill set down the plastic bag, tapping a thoughtful pen against a note pad. The other agents at the table all waited patiently as she considered Coulson's story. The dull hum of the base's air conditioning was the only sound in the bleak conference room. "And the method of his attack on Agent Khan was...?"

Coulson dropped his eyes down to the table top, shaking his head as he searched for the right word. "...Gentle," he said at last, looking up at the other faces around the table. "Instant. He just touched him, on the face, like this," and he held his hand up to demonstrate Daniels' finger positioning. After a moment, he dropped his hand to the table, hiking one shoulder. "And that was it. All the color drained out of him. He stopped moving. When I checked him for a pulse a few seconds later, his body was ice cold."

Hill turned to another agent at her side. "Do we have record of any unique individuals who can kill with a single touch?"

"None that leap to mind, ma'am. Not in that manner. But I'll check."

"Agent Coulson," a balding man spoke from across the table. "You mention in your preliminary report that you suspect this to be a product of this Mr. Daniels' experiences with Dark Force, is that right?"

"It's my working theory," Coulson nodded. "Before his disappearance and subsequent interest in Miss Nathan, Marcus Daniels was operating in a laboratory which was conducting experiments using Dark Force. When an accident occurred in the lab, it killed two other people and injured Mr. Daniels. That's when he dropped off the map. Before that, he hadn't been reported as exhibiting any odd behavior, but Miss Nathan has suggested otherwise. Based on her testimonies, and from what I've personally seen, I think Mr. Daniels' abilities might be electricity-based. I'm not sure if he can...absorb it, or just displace it...but his abilities appear to be linked somehow to electricity."

"And this Miss Nathan, what have her experiences been exactly?" the bald man pressed. Coulson couldn't remember his name. Something with an R. All he could think of was Rambo, but he knew that wasn't right.

"She says Daniels was able to cut the power to her whole block without lifting a finger. And he was able to do this on multiple occasions. I saw the aftermath of one such blackout with my own eyes."

Now Agent Gibbons spoke up from Coulson's side. "What's to say that he didn't have some kind of accomplice cut the power for him? Maybe this woman was mistaken."

"Every time he's been spotted, he's always been alone. And more to the point," Coulson turned and locked eyes with the other man, "I believe her."

Maria Hill looked back and forth between Coulson and Gibbons. She scribbled something on her pad and then asked, "So where is she now? This woman you've been following."

"She's safe," Coulson answered promptly. "Staying with her sister until the matter's resolved."

Hill nodded and wrote something else down. "So we're talking about a man that can potentially absorb electric energy, is able to stop bullets and can kill with a single touch." She put down her pen and slowly looked across the table at the other agents. "What are the weaknesses of a person like that?"

"Actually," Coulson said after a while. He looked up at Hill, a tiny twinkle in his eye. "I might have an idea about that."

The other agents grew wary as Coulson explained his theory about Daniels' powers. He described the moment in the parking lot, when Daniels shrunk away from the light and appeared to be weakened by it. "I fired half a dozen rounds at him," Coulson insisted. "At close range, and he didn't blink an eye. But the sun? For whatever reason, the sunlight really seemed to bother him, more so than the average person. I think... I think it was hurting him somehow."

Understandably so, the assembled members of S.H.I.E.L.D. were not enthusiastic about an adversary whose only apparent weakness was the sun itself. After all, harnessing the power of the sun and _weaponizing_ that power were two very different things, and the science behind both was riddled with complications.

Nevertheless, the brilliant minds at that table quickly set about developing a plan, with Agent Bomer taking the lead. He hypothesized that the true source of Daniels' power was not electricity, strictly; but rather, energy in general. And that was how Daniels was able to stop the bullets without touching them. He literally absorbed their momentum as the energy grew closer to him, until all energy was removed and they simply dropped to the ground.

"This could also account for how he was able to cut the power without apparently doing anything, and how..." Bomer's expression took a solemn turn downward.

"...Khan," Coulson finished, and the other agent nodded.

A respectful silence fell over the table as each person considered the hypothesis. Then Maria Hill asked, "How soon can you have something developed?"

Agent Bomer removed his glasses and began to clean them. "Well, selecting an energy source should be a simple matter of running a few algorithms, but creating a suitable delivery mechanism might require a bit of genius." The engineer paused, his eyes zigzagging as they sketched blueprints into the air. "Give me a few hours," he said resolutely and immediately got up.

Coulson smirked at the scientist as he retreated from the room. He liked his style.

The other agents looked back at Hill awkwardly, wondering if that meant the meeting was adjourned and they were dismissed. "One more thing," she said. She picked up her pen again, not to write anything down, apparently just to hold it. "I'd like to put the woman back in play."

Coulson's heart dropped to his stomach. His mind stuttered as he tried to come up with an emphatic, and yet appropriately reserved response, but Commander Hill followed up on her comment faster than he could.

"You said this latest encounter happened at the woman's rehearsal. Rehearsal for what?"

"A...concert," he supplied, still trying to come up with a suitable rebuttal. "She's a musician. The concert's the day after tomorrow."

"Good," Hill said. "Follow up with Bomer in the lab. I'm sure he can have you something by that time."

"Commander," Coulson finally said. "Are you sure that's really necessary? She's already been stalked and threatened by this man; now she's been through a traumatic experience where she saw someone die in front of her. Don't you think she's been through enough?"

Maria gave him a hard look, and Coulson grew a little more self-aware.

"She's only a civilian," he finished more quietly.

"Have you been able to find any better means of tracking Daniels?" Hill asked.

Coulson sighed and closed his eyes. "No, but-"

"And by your own account, hasn't the only times you've encountered Daniels been when you were following this woman?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then the logic seems perfectly sound," she said, dipping her voice slightly, silently imploring Phil to stop this nonsense before he embarrassed himself in front of his colleagues.

He apparently didn't get the message. "She has _no_ means of protecting herself against this man, and I won't be able to stop him on my own." He grabbed one of his armrests and used it to push himself forward, leaning over the table towards Hill urgently. "We'd be dangling her out as bait with _zero_ assurance that we could actually keep her safe. She doesn't deserve that."

The room went deadly quiet. Hill breathed in a calming breath and let it out slowly. When she spoke, her voice was stern and settled. "Marcus Daniels is extremely dangerous and grossly unstable. We need to bring him in for assessment as soon as possible. Your Miss Nathan is our best chance of doing that. Now, you can either take point on this mission and bring Daniels down when he comes to this woman's concert, or you can sit this one out and I'll deploy Blake or Garret to finish what you've started. What will it be?"

Coulson held her gaze for a few more, exaggerated seconds, then sighed and sat back in his chair, mindful not to slump like a petulant child. There was no use arguing now, he knew he couldn't reverse her decision. "In that case," he said, "I'd like to request backup."

Hill nodded slowly. "What do you need?"

He considered the question, "Three full teams."

"You can have two."

* * *

Coulson was mentally exhausted by the time he made it back to his office. After his meeting, he had gone down to autopsy to make sure Khan's body had made it safely, and he took a moment to discuss the circumstances of his death with Dr. Fisher, the medical examiner. Then, he went to sci-ops to offer his services to Agent Bomer, who was very eager to hear more about the blackouts and Daniels' apparent mental state.

After that, Coulson took the long way back to his office. It was a conscious effort to avoid the army of S.H.I.E.L.D. psychiatrists, who were no doubt anxious to help him through his "grieving process."

Trouble was, Coulson didn't feel ready to grieve. As far as he was concerned, he was still in the thick of an ongoing mission, and that was no time to debrief. He couldn't let himself think about Agent Khan, not yet. Not while Daniels was still out there and Miss Nathan was still in danger.

He lowered himself into his chair and sighed, looking at his watch. It was going on nine o'clock. He wondered how long he would have to stay at base. Bomer seemed optimistic that he could have a working prototype in a few hours, but Coulson was eager to return to Portland. The longer he was away, the more unsettled he became.

Skirting a hand over the trackpad on his computer, summoning the machine to life, Coulson decided he should try to do a little work. That usually helped get his mind off of things. Twenty minutes later, he was engrossed.

He gently swiped his fingers up the trackpad, scanning through the document on his computer screen. He was trying to get to the _Update_ log to review Khan's latest notes on the document, but he halted when something caught his eye. 

_Audrey Louise Nathan[[image]](http://78.media.tumblr.com/59a5c004f90e5e80ee33afb47266e981/tumblr_p4inzqkuPM1tozewqo1_250.jpg)_

He moved his curser over the _image_ button and double-tapped the pad. He didn't notice the microscopic smile that came to the edges of his lips when the image loaded. It was her driver's license photo. Probably not the most flattering (they never were), but her smile was still brilliant and her eyes kind. Her hair was shorter then, but Coulson silently decided that he liked it the length it was now.

Coulson wasn't entirely sure what it was about Miss Nathan, but he found her strangely compelling. It had felt like a long-shot, contacting this woman in the search of Marcus Daniels, but Coulson was glad he had followed his gut on this one. In the days since they had met, he found his mind had a tendency to wander toward thoughts of her. Her kindness and pleasant smile were contagious, and he admired the brave face she put on amidst all of this madness.

He couldn't deny the feeling that had hit him when Maria suggested using her as bait. It was like his gut was in an elevator that suddenly began to plummet. He could try to explain it as being strictly natural. After all, no agent liked having to endanger innocent members of the public. Coulson had developed a reputation as being an advocate for the least amount of collateral damage possible, going toe-to-toe with people like Blake and even Director Fury before. It's possible people might dismiss his earlier outburst as a side-effect of that character trait.

But if Coulson was being honest, that wasn't the real reason. Or at least...that wasn't the full reason. No, the truth was more complicated than that. It involved a couple emotions and motivations he hadn't quite figured out yet. He looked back at the bright eyes and the casual smile of the driver's license photo. The feeling in his chest was intense. He had to protect her, and not just because it was his duty. Because, he had to.

"Who's that?"

The voice startled him and he subconsciously turned his laptop so that it didn't face his door so fully. He turned as Agent Melinda May entered his office.

"Oh, it's...no one. Just a lead on something." With a few taps on the trackpad, he backed away from the image screen and returned to the main file.

Melinda noticed his rapid movements and looked at him in such a way as to inform him of the fact. But she didn't press the issue verbally. "I heard you were back from mission."

"Temporarily," he informed.

"I was sorry to hear about Khan," she said after a moment. "He was a good man."

Coulson nodded gratefully. This was an unfortunate conversation that S.H.I.E.L.D. agents tended to have fairly regularly, but it was still nice to receive condolences from a fellow agent...especially when you knew that agent was being sincere. "Thanks, he was," Coulson replied.

A second ticked by before May was back in business-mode, "I thought I'd come have a word. Your file from the Tibet case was incomplete when you turned it in. You didn't include your subject evaluation forms on these people." She reached out and handed him a list.

Coulson instantly scowled as he took the small piece of paper and read the short list of names. "I was pretty sure I sent everything down to Records right after I got back," even as he spoke, he started to search his desk.

"That's what I would assume, but it wasn't with the original paperwork."

Coulson pulled a file from his desk drawer and flipped through the pages, squinting to concentrate on what he was reading.

"It's not like you to misplace paperwork," she observed, watching him search for the documents. "Everything alright?" she asked.

He stopped and looked up at her, his brows high. "Everything's fine."

They both paused.

It had been a long time, almost four years. But even after all that time, it was still odd to realize that 'office talk' was all they had left anymore. This was probably the longest conversation they had had in over a year. But despite the absence of...proximity (or whatever it was they used to have), they still possessed that unprecedented ability to read one another.

But at least, right now, they weren't reading out loud.

"Who did you hand the files to when you turned them in?" May asked, leaving the rest unsaid. That was, after all, their status quo.

Coulson thought back slightly. "Um, Agent Langer, I believe."

Melinda rolled her eyes. "That probably explains it. I'll see what she did with them."

Coulson nodded. "I'll keep looking here and let you know if I find them."

May just nodded and turned to leave. Right before she had totally exited though, she stopped and turned around. "She's not a suspect, is she?" May asked, glancing pointedly at Coulson's tilted computer screen.

Coulson too looked back at the computer, feeling slightly self-conscious as he returned his gaze to the woman at his door. "No, she's not."

"Good." May gave him a look of warning. "Because you know better than that."

Coulson just cleared his throat uncomfortably and nodded, turning his attention back to his desk and pretending to continue his search. May left him alone after that.

* * *

Coulson pulled his head off of the keyboard when he heard the sharp buzzing of his phone against the desk. Disoriented, it took him a moment to place the noise, but he was soon grabbing the phone and squinting down at the number on the screen.

His heart clenched as he brought the phone to his ear. "Miss Nathan? What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked frantically, looking at his watch. It was almost 10:50pm his time, which meant it was nearly midnight her time. He lifted a hand to rub away the keyboard indentations in his forehead. 

He held his breath as he waited for a response. The other end of the line was silent.

"Miss Nathan?" he asked, his voice just a fraction more urgent.

"Sorry," came her timid voice a moment later. "I'm here. And I'm fine, I just..."

He thought he heard her laugh, but it was quiet, like she turned away from the phone or dropped it away from her mouth. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the vintage watch on his desk, listening carefully for her to continue.

"I'm not..." She huffed, and there was a smile in her voice when she said, "I'm sorry, Agent Coulson. I'm not even sure why I'm calling. I just...wanted to, I guess."

"Oh," Coulson said, sitting up and straightening a few pieces of paper on his desk. "Well that's okay," he said, trying to sound soft and friendly. "I'm glad you did."

An awkward silence fell over the line. "So..." Coulson began, feeling the burden of conversation settle on his shoulders for some reason. "Are you still at your sister's?"

"Yeah," she said, grateful for the topic choice. "She's the greatest. Says I can stay here for as long as I need."

"That's good."

"...Speaking of, any idea when I'll be able to go back home?"

Coulson sighed and leaned back in his chair, swiveling back and forth in it slightly. "We're developing a strategy to subdue Daniels now, but..." he hesitated, unsure how to phrase this, "we might be needing your help."

"Oh," she perked up, a bit of surprise in her voice. "Well, what can I do?"

Again, Coulson hesitated. "My boss thinks the best way to encounter Daniels again is..."

"Probably at the concert, right?"

Coulson winced. "Yes, most likely. So I'm afraid I need to ask you to play in the concert, despite the risk. But I can assure you-"

"Well that's no problem at all," Audrey said, her voice full of dismissive ease. "I was already planning on going through with the concert."

"You were?" he asked, brows rising.

"Absolutely! Are you kidding? I just spent over an hour on the phone with my conductor, fighting to keep my chair. Some idiots in the orchestra have," she huffed in irritation, "apparently _conspired_ to get me removed from the bill due to those risks you mentioned."

He could tell by her tone of voice that she was offended by this. And oddly enough, he found himself irritated on her behalf (never mind the fact that he himself was aiming for that same objective only a little while ago. Things seemed different when he realized how much it would upset her).

She went on. "But this is the first time I've ever been given the cello line in a quartet and I'll be damned if I'm going to let some psychopath take that away from me now. I've worked my whole career for this chance." Her voice grew quieter on the last part, and he found himself wishing that they were in the same room so he could read her expression.

"You deserve it," he said honestly. It occurred to him that he had never actually heard her play, but he instantly remembered watching her face as she played on the security feed at rehearsal. The passion was written across her face, and he felt confident that she must have talent to match.

"Thank you," she said faintly.

Another silence fell over the pair, and Coulson found himself pleasantly relaxed. He had been back at base now for several hours and the tension in his back and shoulders had been mounting the whole time. It wasn't until this moment, when he could just sit and listen to the sound of her voice on the other side of the phone that he finally felt himself release that tension. It was a nice feeling.

"And...how are you?" she asked hesitantly. "I can't imagine..." she let her voice trail off.

Steadily, Coulson's small smile slipped from his lips. "You mean with Khan," he finished.

"Yeah," she said simply. "How are you handling it? Are you okay?"

Coulson reached out and tapped a few fingers on his desk. "Umm..." he said, trying to keep his voice light, refusing to let the tremors enter it. "It's hard," he confessed. He scraped a nail across the wood and added, "It's hard every time."

"Have you lost partners before?" the sympathy in her voice almost made him smile.

"Not partners, per se. But...one or two colleagues. This job, it's...it can be dangerous at times." It wasn't much of an explanation, he knew that. But it was also easier to admit than the truth: that agents like him were soldiers behind invisible enemy lines, that they went to work in suits and ties, but every one of them knew that they might end the day in a bag. It was a hard truth, and one that Coulson tried to protect the average civilian from having to know.

"I'm so sorry," was Audrey's quiet response. "Was he married?"

"No. There was a girlfriend, I think."

"God...I can't imagine. That must be so hard."

Coulson just nodded at her sentiment. It was hard. When he was able to wrap up things in Portland, Coulson would follow up with Records and get the next-of-kin information from Khan's file. S.H.I.E.L.D. had a dedicated team of professionals who typically handled such business. But in situations like these, when he knew the person well enough, he preferred to deliver the news himself. He never relished the moment, but he couldn't bear the thought of handing the job to anyone else. Khan deserved more than that; his family did too.

"Incidentally," he began after things grew quiet again. "How are you handling it? It can be traumatic, to witness something like that for the first time."

She took in a deep breath, "Yeah, I was pretty shaken. Still am, I guess. I've never...It's always been in the movies, you know? But, to see it really happen..."

Coulson just nodded, making a small affirmative noise to let her know he understood. Like he had said before, it was always hard, and that was true whether you were a special agent or a cellist in an orchestra. "If there's anything I can do..." he offered.

He heard her breathe out a smile. "Thanks," she said. "Though..." her voice seemed to trail off in thought. "I've always known Daniels was dangerous. That's why I _went_ to the police. They wouldn't believe me, but I could tell. I could see it in his eyes. I _knew_ he was capable of really hurting someone and now.... Now a person's dead because they were trying to protect me."

Coulson scowled and sat forward a little, leaning onto his desk. "Miss Nathan," he warned in a serious tone.

"Don't worry, I'm not having some crazy guilt complex," she said, and Coulson relaxed a little. "I'm not blaming myself, really. I'm just...thinking out loud..."

"Okay, well...what are you thinking?" he prodded.

"What's the responsible thing to do," she answered hesitantly. "I mean, is it selfish to go on with the concert if it means Daniels might come back? You saw what he did to Agent Khan. Imagine him in a concert hall full of people! I just...don't want anyone else to get hurt."

Coulson thought back to his meeting and knew what Commander Hill would instruct him to do right now. He knew he was ordered to make sure Miss Nathan performed in the upcoming concert. He knew that they needed to use her to draw Daniels out again. But in that moment, he couldn't bring himself to care about what he was "supposed to do."

"Miss Nathan," he began, lowering his voice and looking over to the darkened door of his office, "you are allowed to make whatever decision you think is best, and I promise you this—I will protect you, whatever you decide. If you don't feel comfortable doing this concert, I will get you someplace safe and I will keep you there until Daniels is in my custody. And if you want to do the concert, I will have teams of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents scattered all over that musical hall, and I will keep everyone safe, most of all you. I promise you: Marcus Daniels will not take another life. Do you believe me?"

He heard a long sigh come over the phone, and a small, "yes."

Once again, Coulson found himself wishing he was in the room with her. He would give anything to look her in the eye right now, to see if she really, honestly believed him. But in the end, all he could do was take her word for it, and say, "good."

After that, another solemn silence fell over the line. Often times, long silences made Coulson feel uncomfortable, but this one almost did the opposite. He found himself relaxing the longer they were on the line, and he found himself grateful. He wouldn't have known it before, but this conversation was exactly what he had needed.

"Miss Nathan?" Coulson asked after a while.

"Yes?"

"...I'm...glad you called."

"I am too."

Coulson let his lips turn up in a tiny smile. "And also, I appreciate you asking about Khan. Grief over a friend is.... Well it's not something I usually talk about, but..." He didn't know how to end that sentence, but at the same time, he felt assured that he didn't have to. Coulson was surprised by how easy it was to be honest with her. Especially about this.

"You're welcome," she said, that small smile back in her voice. "I enjoy talking to you too, Agent Coulson."

His eyes brightened a little bit and he smiled behind the phone. How could this woman make him feel so giddy? Coulson looked back at his watch and then sighed, scratching his scalp. "It's pretty late. You should probably try to get some sleep."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Any chance you might get some yourself?"

"I have a little work I need to do. But then, yeah."

"Good. Seems every time we have a conversation like this, you're always sending me off to bed and then having to stay up yourself. But you need your rest too, you know."

Coulson laughed softly. "Yes ma'am," he said, amused.

"Okay," she said quietly. "Goodnight then."

"Goodnight, Miss Nathan. Sweet dreams."

His phone beeped when the call was disconnected. It was Bomer. He had something for him in the lab. Coulson got up from his desk and pulled his jacket from the back of his chair. As he headed out of his office, he couldn't shake the goofy smile that was etched into his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have been so patient waiting for this chapter, and I really appreciate it. Hopefully, again, the length of this one will make up for the wait. And since it was a longer one, there was quite a bit of inspiration that went into it. So let's get on with that, shall we?
> 
> Canon Inspirations for this Chapter:
> 
> "He can kill with one touch. [And I'm guessing he likes to. Do we need to put a bullet in him?] Unfortunately, it's not that simple. He can absorb the energy of most conventional weapons." -- Phil Coulson to Agent Antoine Triplett, S1E19
> 
> "Last time, there were two whole teams of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents." -- Audrey Nathan, S1E19
> 
> And just because I'm evil and couldn't pass up the opportunity, there is also an homage to The Avengers...
> 
> "[Was he married?] No. There was a...cellist, I think." -- Tony Stark to Steve Rogers, The Avengers
> 
> Next, this one doesn't have a quote because it included no dialogue, but the fact that Coulson personally visited Tripp's mother to tell her of his passing (S2E11) informs the portion of this chapter where Coulson plans to do the same for Khan. 
> 
> And finally...
> 
> "He promised me he would stop Daniels, and that's exactly what he did. That's why I know I can trust S.H.I.E.L.D. Phil never lied to me." -- Audrey Nathan, S1E19


	6. It was like something out of a movie

It was still an hour before the concert was scheduled to start, but people were already arriving and filling the concert hall's foyer, bringing a billowing hum of conversation into the once quiet room. Coulson navigated his way through the crowd effortlessly, with only the occasional "I beg your pardon" to excuse himself between patrons. He scanned the perimeter to make sure all of his men were at their posts.

Coulson raised a finger to his ear discreetly. "Look alive people," he said. "Daniels could show up at any time. As soon as he steps foot on this property, I want reports in my ear. Understood?" One-by-one, all of his agents chimed in over the radio, acknowledging his order.  

Satisfied that everything in the foyer looked good, the agent made his way to an inconspicuous doorway behind the concessions counter. After poring over the blueprints to the concert hall and its grounds last night, he pretty much had the entire layout memorized at this point. Armed with that information, he knew that this was actually the quickest way to the rehearsal rooms.

Coulson rapped his knuckles against the dark-stained wood of the door, turning the handle with his other hand and poking his head into the room. "Knock-knock," he said.

The musicians were all gathered there, chatting with one another and cleaning and tuning their instruments. Almost as soon as he spoke, Coulson could see Audrey look up from her conversation and turn to find him. When her eyes finally settled on him, she smiled.

"Agent Coulson," the cellist greeted excitedly, and Coulson took that as his cue to enter the room fully. Audrey stood and walked over to him, they hesitated awkwardly for the briefest of moments, unsure how to greet one another, until Coulson extended his hand.

"Miss Nathan," he said, wishing to sound formal enough to cover that slightly embarrassing moment. He had to catch himself from hugging her outright. It had been almost two days since they had seen each other, and he was somewhat surprised by how affected he had been by the absence.

As it turns out, developing a device that could subdue Daniels had been more challenging than Agent Bomer and his associates had anticipated. In the end, all Coulson ended up getting was one, big, hypothetical weapon. Actually, to be fair, he got fifteen hypothetical weapons, enough for him and his two teams of agents. Still, he would have felt better if Bomer hadn't used so many words like "should" and "most likely" and "in theory" when explaining how to use it.

"Let me introduce you to the crew," Audrey said, letting her hand slip out of his in a way that almost tickled. "Janet here is our violinist."

The older woman took Coulson's hand in an old-fashioned manner, holding her palm towards the floor and lightly pinching the flats of his fingers, like she expected him to kiss her hand. "Lovely to meet you," she said with a smile.

Not missing a beat, Coulson bowed his head courteously and placed a tiny kiss on the woman's hand. "Charmed," he replied, noticing how Audrey brought a discreet hand up to her mouth to hide a chuckle.

"That over there is James," Audrey continued. "He plays the viola."

The other man gave a curt nod in greeting, which Coulson returned just as simply.

"This is Stevonja and Gregory? Is that right?" Audrey asked. The two people in question nodded in unison as they each waved to Coulson from across the room. "They're both vocalists who'll be accompanying us on one of the songs," Audrey explained.

Then a tall man with silvering hair walked up to the cellist and her agent. Audrey smiled warmly. "And this is the fabulous Wyatt Dewey; he's our maestro for the evening."

Coulson took the conductor's hand firmly, saying "Agent Coulson. I believe we spoke on the phone."

Audrey looked surprised at that news, but Wyatt just nodded and shook the agent's hand. "Yes indeed," the conductor said with a toothy smile, "I'd like to thank you again. We were all a little rattled after Monday's rehearsal. But since talking with you this morning, I can say I personally feel a lot better about tonight's safety precautions. Don't let us down, now."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Coulson replied.

From the other side of the room, a man holding a large, stand-up bass cleared his throat pointedly. Audrey barely looked over at him before saying, "Oh, and that's Oliver. We can't figure out what he's supposed to do."

The bassist just shot Audrey an icy glare and Coulson cleared his throat. "Well it's great to meet you all. Me and my men hope to stay out of your way this evening, but rest assured, if anything should happen, we'll be there."

"Do you _expect_ anything to happen?" Oliver asked with a frown.

"It's hard to say, for sure. But at this point, my men are prepared for just about everything. You'll be safe." Then turning his attention back to Wyatt, Coulson asked, "I was hoping to steal your cellist for just a moment, is that alright?" As he spoke, he reached down and grabbed Audrey by the hand, gently looping her arm through his.

"Be my guest," said Wyatt, "Just be mindful of the clock. We go on in less than an hour."

Coulson nodded and then maneuvered himself and Audrey out into the hallway. They fell into an easy pace as they walked together silently, occasionally bumping against one another at the hips or shoulders in time with their strides. Coulson smiled a little to himself. It felt good to be around her again.

"I'm pretty sure half of that room fell a little in love with you just now," Audrey joked, elbowing him ever so slightly.

"You think?" Coulson asked with a furrowed brow and a skeptical, sideways glance.

"Oh definitely. Between Janet, Wyatt, and the soprano, I'm not sure who was drooling more."

Coulson laughed and shook his head. "Must be the monkey suit," he said modestly.

Audrey turned her head to admire his elegant tuxedo. "Could very well be," she said, liking the way his eyes crinkled at the corners as he tried not to blush at the compliment. "You certainly clean up nicely."

"Thank you," he replied quietly. "I was just thinking the same about you. You look stunning, Miss Nathan."

And she did. She wore a plumb dress which sparkled when she moved, and complimented the deep purple flower that rested behind her left ear. Coulson wanted to lean in and smell it, to see if it was real, but he kept himself from it by looking straight ahead down the hallway.

"How do you feel about tonight?" he asked, by way of distraction.

Audrey inhaled deeply, letting her eyes drift to the black and white photos on the wall, mementos of all the famous performers who had played in that music hall. "Musically, I feel prepared. I feel like I've been building to this moment for a long time. I'm just," she gestured outward, as if reaching for some invisible treasure. "It's right there, you know? It's so close I can almost taste it. I'm ready to go out on that stage and just, finally get to show them what I can do."

Coulson smiled at her obvious excitement as they rounded a corner in the hallway. He knew that at the end of the hall was the door that would take them out into view of two of his men. In that moment, Coulson found himself wishing that this hallway would have been another half mile or so.

Audrey continued, "But...I'm also nervous. I mean, I always imagined that I would be nervous before my first big concert," she laughed. "I guess I just never accounted for that being partially because of a psycho stalker who likes to turn off the lights and tell me I'm pretty."

Something about the way she said that made Coulson's stomach clench. He tightened his grip on her arm, still laced with his, and brought his left hand up to cover hers. "You don't need to worry about that. I'll be right by your side all night. From this point forward," and as he said them, the words sounded like his vows.

"Oh?" Audrey asked with a coy smile, "Even out on the stage? Will you by my very own page-turner?"

Coulson acknowledged the point with a small smile of his own. "No, I'm afraid for that I'll have to stick to the wings. Guys like me do better in the shadows than the spotlight." Somehow, that was apparently the wrong thing to say. He watched the smile fall from her face like a browned leaf. Coulson stopped walking, a light touch to her arm urging her to turn and face him. "Audrey?" he asked gently.

She refused to meet his gaze at first. "It's nothing. I'm fine. Just...the phrasing...spotlight versus shadows. Light versus dark.... It just reminded me of what he said." A thin line of moisture appeared at the edge of her eyes, and she tried to laugh it away as she ducked her head and covered her face. "How sad is this? I'm developing a fear of the dark at thirty-five years old! I slept with my closet light on last night for god's sake." Audrey avoided his gaze for a while longer, embarrassed by how childish she felt. She sniffed, hoping that this wouldn't build into a proper cry.

Coulson let her have her moment, wishing for the hundredth time that he could fix this, fix all of it. Instead, he simply breathed deeply and removed a handkerchief from his pocket, touching her lightly on the chin and tipping her face up towards the light. Gingerly, he craned his neck forward and furrowed his brow in concentration. Wordlessly, he dabbed the cloth gently under her eyes, mindful of her makeup.

The process only took about a minute, a minute spent with her eyes locked on his, and his own focused on his delicate movements. When he was finished, he looked up and met her eyes.

And there it was, the same look that he had glimpsed that night in her house, when Khan had turned on the lights and startled them both. This time, she didn't retract it, didn't hide it, and he got to soak in every moment of it. With this clear a view, Coulson finally felt certain that he knew what it meant. As if on auto-pilot, he let the hand with the handkerchief drop to his side, while his other continued to cup her chin softly. He tilted her to a different angle and then slowly took a step forward, closing around her mouth in a small, modest kiss. Her lips were warm and soft, and he wanted to stay there kissing them forever.

But just a breath later, they pulled apart slowly, and blinked their eyes open in tandem. Coulson swallowed into his dry throat. "I'm sorry," he said, and took a step back, letting his other hand finally fall to his side.

Audrey cocked an eyebrow curiously, "You are?"

"I didn't mean," Coulson said, shaking his head and glancing down. "I didn't mean for that to happen so soon."

"So soon? Felt like it was a long-time coming to me."

"I thought maybe afterward, when I wasn't on duty...I would let myself. I would ask you to dinner somewhere, and then maybe after I walked you to your door...maybe then. But I didn't mean for it...."

Audrey beamed at him and reached forward, grabbing both of his hands in hers. "For the record?" she said, coaxing him to look up at her. "I'm not complaining...but if it would help you to get through the rest of tonight, we can pretend this didn't happen. For now."

He smiled at her meekly.

"So," Audrey said resolutely, turning and lacing her arm through his the way he had done to her a moment ago. She began to guide him down the hall. "Why is it that you needed to 'borrow' me for a few moments, Agent Coulson?"

Coulson had a hard time wiping the smile from his face, but he followed her lead in spite of it. He cleared his throat and nodded, pointing a finger down the hall. "Right, I wanted to show you around the grounds a little bit, give you an idea what the security set-up for tonight is going to be."

"Then by all means..." And she let him lead the way.

* * *

True to his word, Coulson stayed at Audrey's side right up until the concert was scheduled to begin. In the wings of the stage, a nervous cellist waited as the agent held a finger to his ear, listening to the final check-ins from his men.

"Roger that, proceeding as scheduled." Coulson looked up and met the eyes of all of the musicians. "Looks like we're good to go," he said, trying to sound positive, even though he honestly felt about as uneasy as all of them looked.

"Will we be safe out there?" Oliver asked. The overweight man was already sweating and he hadn't even been out beneath the bright stage lights yet.

"Everything is perfectly safe," Coulson assured. "I have my men posted at every entrance and all throughout the theater. Mr. Daniels hasn't been spotted all night. He's not in the building."

"Strange..." Audrey said, hesitant and with a vague sense of dread. "He's been at the last six of my shows. Now he suddenly misses one?" She directed this mainly to Coulson.

"I don't remember seeing him at all six," Janet said, trying to lighten the implication.

"No, he was there. Trust me," the cellist replied.

"What do we do if he suddenly shows up?" Oliver asked.

"If I believe you are in danger for any reason, I've left a small device on the conductor's music stand. It will blink to discreetly get his attention, and then he can interrupt the music if need be and usher you all off the stage. And obviously, if the situation is more dire than that, my men and I will step in. But I can assure you, Mr. Daniels has not been reported on the property. You're safe to go on."

The other musicians looked around at one another in trepidation. Even Audrey didn't seem totally confident.

"Well if the man says he's not here, then clearly he's not here, obviously," Wyatt said boisterously with a nervous laugh. "Come along, let's take the agent's word for it. I'm certain he's _more_ than capable of interfering if anything should arise," the conductor said, patting the agent lightly on the bicep and laughing again. "Meanwhile, we have a show to do, and it's already three minutes after the hour." He started waving his baton to usher the group into a line.

"Look alive people, this is _Webber_!"

As they all followed obediently and exited onto the stage, Audrey reached out to give Coulson's hand one tight squeeze before she passed. Coulson inhaled deeply and peeked around the corner to scan across the crowd as the audience greeted the quartet with a hardy round of applause. He reached up and tapped his ear. "Alright people, stay sharp. It's showtime."

* * *

The music was rapturous. It felt like ages ago that Coulson had watched her rehearse on the security feed, but he had been right; Audrey _was_ amazing, with talent to match the ample passion she had displayed on that screen. All four of the musicians were amazing, to be fair. But Coulson could barely take his eyes off of one in particular.

She was tight and nervous through the first song, her eyes never closing. And she frequently looked over at Coulson in the wings. Every time, he would smile and give her a gentle nod, which would coax a little smile out of her, and the slope of her shoulder would relax a little more. By the second song, she was more in her element, eyes closed and swaying in time with the music.

Coulson called for another sound-off in his ear, to which his men immediately replied. Everything was going well, which made Coulson feel very certain that things were about to turn sour. "Stay alert," he reminded when all of his men had checked in, and then he let the radio go silent.

The audience applauded again between the second and third songs, this time, to welcome the two guest vocalists onto the stage. The sophisticated lady and gentleman entered the spotlight with their arms extended wide and holding each other's hand. Together they bowed graciously to the audience and then Wyatt pulsed out the tempo to the song with his baton.

One—two—three—and...

Janet and Audrey played the opening notes, in a weeping strand of interwoven melodies and harmonies. It only lasted for four measures, but it was gorgeous. Coulson hadn't recognized the first two songs, but that didn't surprise him. He hadn't seen much musical theater. He wasn't even sure he could name one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals if his life depended on it. But somewhere in those first few bars of music, there was a melody hidden that he thought he knew from somewhere. Then the tenor began to sing...

_No more talk of darkness_  
_Forget these wide-eyed fears_  
 _I'm here, nothing can harm you_  
 _My words will warm and calm you_

Audrey opened her eyes when she heard the words, and her gaze locked instantly with Coulson's. She continued to play, but it was like everything but her arms and fingers was frozen in that moment, and all the world disappeared except for him and the music. It was uncanny. Of course, she knew the song, and had been rehearsing it for weeks. And somewhere in the back of her head, she had been aware of the lyrics. She had even seen the play from which they were taken. But somehow, their actual meaning had escaped her, until now. With eyes locked on Coulson, it was like the music was describing them, giving voice to all that waited unspoken between them.

The singers carried on and the music built and transitioned through both the male and female parts. But the cellist was caught up in watching a show of her own, the well of emotions that were billowing up within the man standing in the wings of that concert hall.

_Let me be your shelter_  
_Let me be your light_  
 _You're safe, no one will find you_  
 _Your fears are far behind you_

And the soprano's voice interwove with the strings at her back, and she sang...

_All I want is freedom_  
_A world with no more night_  
 _And you, always beside me_  
 _To hold me and to hide me_

Coulson swallowed. There were often times when he found himself ill-equipped to articulate his emotions clearly. But it was almost as if the trained, classical singers had been reading his mind as the words of the song flowed out of them. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to feel. But the way Audrey's eyes were trained on him like a laser made him feel somehow exposed, like the spotlight was reaching through the curtain and showing him bare. He knew in that moment, as much as he tried to hide what was really going on, as much as he tried to keep things professional, he knew that in that moment, Audrey saw it all. And for once, Coulson couldn't be bothered to hide it.

He knew he shouldn't have kissed her. It was undeniably complicating things now. True, it was sweet and very pleasant, and not nearly as long as it should have been. But it was also premature, and now he was having a hard time getting his mind to focus on anything else. He tried to recall his training, the endless hours of situational simulations that tested his ability to think rationally under strained circumstances. He used to ace those tests. His superiors praised him for it. Now more than ever, he needed to reclaim that ability. If not for his own sake, then for hers.

The instinctual, carnal side of his brain only cared about the next time he could be alone with her. The next time he could be near her. And certainly, the next time he could kiss her. But the agent side of his brain knew the checkpoints between Stage A and Stage B and knew that in order to navigate his way through those checkpoints, he had to be at the top of his game. He had a job to do, a very important job. And if he allowed himself to become distracted, then it could spell disaster for everyone. People's lives were depending on him, most of all hers, so he couldn't let himself get drawn into the vicarious lyrics of this sweeping melody.

Dropping his eyes, Coulson broke the trance and cleared his throat. He brought a finger to his ear, much too soon for his regular check-ins, but he didn't care. "Anyone have eyes on Daniels?"

"Negative sir," they each replied, in different words.

Coulson rocked back on his feet. He was growing restless. He knew, like Audrey, that Daniels would never let one of Audrey's shows go by without an appearance. Which meant that he was here, somehow, right under Phil's nose.

"Morris, Hancock, Giles...commence a room-by-room sweep over this whole building. Scheller and Dewitt, widen your posts to make up for them. He's got to be here, somewhere."

_"Acknowledged. Commencing search."_

He would do it himself, except he had made a promise to Audrey. So he stayed at his post in the wings, peering over the audience row by row.

It wasn't until halfway through the fifth piece that the lights actually flickered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for reading! No big canonical inspirations to note for this one, but in case you were curious, the song quoted in this chapter is "All I ask of You" from the Phantom of the Opera. When this story was still in its earliest stages, and I was thinking about this pairing and what I wanted to write for them, this song came to mind and I couldn't shake it. It embodied this battle of light vs dark, safety vs threat, love vs fear so perfectly, I couldn't NOT use it in this story. So I made Audrey's first big performance a tribute to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, planted those seeds, so that I could use that song in this chapter. It was a way of confronting Coulson with his own feelings and letting those feelings finally be voiced. If you haven't heard the song, I would encourage you to look it up and have a listen. Truly, the entire song works for Phil and Audrey, but I tried to trim it down to only a few noteworthy stanzas in this chapter.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. More is coming soon!


	7. He just swooped in

The musicians were halfway through the fifth and final piece of the night when the lights flickered and the sound cut out for a flash of a second. An unsettled murmur rippled through the audience in response to the flickering lights, and several people turned in their seats to give condemning looks back towards the sound booth. The music faltered. Each of the musicians looked up nervously. Even Wyatt cast a glance off the side of the stage to see if Coulson seemed alarmed.

The agent gestured with a twirling finger, as if to say "we're still rolling," and Wyatt nodded, making his movements with the baton broader and more assertive, bolstering the confidence of his musicians vicariously.

Coulson brought a hand up to his ear. "Where the hell is he?" he commanded in a harsh whisper.

"East entrance quiet," one of his agents promptly replied.

"Lobby quiet," another echoed.

"South parking lot quiet, but I'll do another sweep over the north-west sections." And the check-ins kept rolling in.

Daniels was here somewhere, Coulson was positive now. One by one, his agents all sang the same tune they'd been singing all night: "All clear sir, no activity in the area." But Coulson knew it was wrong. Somehow, Daniels had slipped in under his detail. He looked up to find that Audrey's posture had tightened again and she was staring at him. He didn't think that she had shared the details of Daniels' apparent powers with her fellow musicians, but she certainly recognized the flickering lights for their true meaning. Almost all color had drained from her cheeks and she looked as if she was ready to toss that cello aside and run from the stage.

Once again, Coulson reached out with both hands, gently patting them towards the floor, a gesture that assured "Calm down. You're alright."

Audrey took a deep breath. Coulson knew he was asking a lot from her right now, but he appreciated her willingness to trust him.

The final piece of music seemed to be ages long. Coulson waited for the final check-in from his agents in the parking lot, but he had a sinking suspicion that they wouldn't offer any new information. And then, "Agent Bradley reporting from the security room. We just lost power to all security feeds. Repeat, all security cameras down."

Coulson's heart leapt up into his chest. "Roger that, get those feeds back up pronto. Everyone else, look alive. He's here somewhere. I'm calling the musicians from the stage." As he spoke, Coulson reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Pressing a few buttons, he activated the device on Wyatt's music stand. The small clip started to blink a pretty blue.

But the conductor didn't react. He just went on with the song. Coulson scowled and took a step closer, coming up to the very edge of the curtain. But Wyatt looked up at him and gave a subtle shake of the head. Coulson tilted his head at the conductor and urgently waved him over. Again, Wyatt shook his head, this time holding up a subtle finger to Coulson, telling him to hold on, and then he turned his attention back to the final measures of the music.

Coulson reached up to his ear once again. "Extraction team, get in position A."

The quartet sang out the final notes of their finale even as Coulson made his way out onto the stage. The audience erupted in applause and the musicians all stood. They uneasily took their bows, all except the cellist who, upon seeing the agent come onto the stage, immediately moved to lean her cello across the floor. Coulson held out his hand to her and she came out from behind her music stand at once and came to him, ignoring the applause for her first major performance. As soon as her hand landed in his, Coulson turned and started back towards the exit of the stage.

Wyatt awkwardly tried to smile and reassure the crowd by taking his expected bow and ignoring the disruption on the other side of the stage. But the damage had been done; all of the audience was now halfheartedly clapping while murmuring about the commotion of the strange man who made such a brief appearance.

"He's here isn't he?" Audrey said, gripping his hand and sending her knuckles white. "The lights?"

"Not just the lights but the cameras too. None of my men have eyes on him, but yes. He's here."

Together, they jogged down the steps and into the bowels of the backstage. "So what's the plan?" Audrey asked.

"I'm getting you out of here. Extraction team is already in place."

"Wait," Audrey said, coming to a dead halt and causing their arms to go taut between them. "I can't leave now. Your men haven't even found Daniels yet. We need to finish drawing him out."

"You've already done your part, Audrey. Daniels is in the building. Now let us handle the rest. I'm not going to dangle you on this hook one second longer than I have to. You're leaving."

They both hesitated for a few drawn-out seconds. She challenged him with a look, but Coulson wasn't willing to negotiate. He softened his hold on her hand. "Audrey, please," he said, pleading both with his tone and with his eyes.

She sighed and relented, giving a soft nod.

Immediately, Coulson turned and continued to direct her through the established escape route. Another agent joined them from a conjoining hallway and Audrey instantly missed the contact as Coulson released her hand.

"Sir! I've been trying to reach you," the agent said, doubling over to catch his breath.

Coulson grabbed him by the upper arm to lend him support and started pulling him along, "Walk and talk, agent."

"Tucker and I encountered Daniels in the northern end of Hallway F. He let loose some kind of pulse that sent us both flying, blew out our coms too. Tucker's still down."

"When was this?"

"Just now, sir"

Coulson brought a finger up to his ear while his other hand reached up to grasp the young agent at the back of his neck, a proud and congratulatory gesture. "All internal units close in towards the north-eastern quadrant of the building. Daniels sighted in hallway F one minute ago."

They reached the exit and Coulson opened the door. The extraction vehicle was right on its mark and just on time, engine roaring. He turned back to the agent, "Get her to safety. Don't take her home yet. Use the safehouse from the briefing."

The agent gave a "yes sir" and gently grabbed the cellist by her arm. But she hesitated. "You aren't coming?" she asked looking at Coulson with a hint of fear.

"This is Agent Stevens. He'll take good care of you. I can't leave the mission until Daniels is in custody. All of this ends today, okay? I promise. But right now, you have to go with Stevens."

Audrey hesitated for a moment longer, but Coulson didn't linger. Almost as soon as he was finished, he turned to head back inside. The young agent gently pulled her by the arm until she snapped out of it and ran with him to the waiting van. Stevens opened the door and Audrey quickly jumped in, followed by the agent.

"Get us to the safehouse, fast!" Stevens ordered, and the driver started to speed away even before the door was fully closed.

Audrey braced herself with one hand up on the wall of the van and the other grasping her chair's armrest. The agent in the driver's seat was talented and precise, accelerating and breaking with practiced efficiency as he took the corners of the parking lot. Their extraction point had been near the back of the building, so they still had to drive around to the front in order to get out onto the main street. As they approached the final corner, Audrey's heart sank as she saw a familiar figure stalking out of the building. "It's him," she said, almost to herself.

But it wasn't just to herself because Stevens heard her. "There," he said to his partner, pointing at the image through the windshield. "Call it in. My coms are down."

"Daniels sighted in parking lot. Repeat North-west exit," the driver called.

Audrey's eyes widened as Daniels stepped boldly out in front of the vehicle and raised his hand. "Suspect is engaging!" the agent called. "Repeat: suspect is engaging the extraction vehicle!"

Even before the agent could finish sounding the alarm, a bright silver pulse shot out from Daniels' hand, accompanied by a deep _whumm_ sound. Instantly, all the electronics in the vehicle shut down and the van started to lose momentum.

"What's happening?" Audrey asked, thinly-veiled alarm rising in her voice. Daniels began his march towards the vehicle once it had stopped fully.

Stevens started feeling down around his waist. He frantically looked down at his belt. "Where's my device? I lost my device! Do you have yours?"

The driver also looked down to his belt. "Yeah, yeah," and he fumbled to grab it.

"Well use the damn thing!"

But it was too late. Daniels threw open the driver's side door and ripped the agent from his seat. Stevens turned and pointed towards the back of the van. "Go! Crawl out through the trunk! Don't stop running!" then he turned and landed a solid punch to Daniels' face as the other man tried to enter the vehicle.

Audrey obeyed the order and crawled over the back seat. She heard a strangled noise and turned to see Daniels had climbed into the middle seats and was holding Stevens by the face; the same as he had done to Khan in this very same parking lot all those days ago. "No! You son of a bitch! Let him go!" Audrey shouted, starting to crawl back over the seat, desperate to stop him before he could hurt anyone else.

Daniels looked up, his face falling at her words. For the briefest of moments, he looked like a little boy. A little boy, strangling a little bird, and not understanding that it was wrong.

Then, the side door of the van slid open and an arm reached into view, grabbing Daniels by the collar and yanking him outside.

The two men went tumbling to the ground, both vying for position before Daniels landed on top. He reached down and touched the man on the face, and froze. Beneath his hand was a black ski mask.

Blue eyes twinkled from behind the fabric. "Clever, huh?" Coulson asked, and swung a gloved hand up to clock the man squarely on the jaw.

Daniels flew back and Coulson was able to get up from his place on the ground. Coulson pulled the device from his belt and aimed it at the other man.

"You don't understand!" Daniels cried, running at Coulson. His shoulder rammed into the agent's gut just as the device turned on. The thing popped out of Coulson's hands as Daniels took him to the ground once more. "She's the only...light!" Daniels grunted as they both began wrestling on the hard asphalt.

Daniels had no way of knowing that he actually hadn't gained any advantage by taking the agent to the ground. Coulson was just as comfortable fighting on his back as he was on his feet, and he must have had at least fifty different ground techniques that Daniels never would have learned in all his school yard tuffs. Just an arm drag, then a shrimp, then a roll, then hook the legs, rear naked choke, and he had him in a back mount.

"Mr. Daniels," Coulson grunted out. "You are hereby under arrest. By the Strategic...homeland..."

As he spoke, Coulson could feel Daniels reaching up towards his face. The gifted man curled his fingers against the fabric of the agent's mask. Coulson could feel the cloth slowly pull away from his face, inch by inch, then... "inter...intervent..." Daniels had gotten one finger under the mask and pinned it just under Coulson's jaw-line.

Instantly, Coulson experienced the worst headache of his life. It felt like his skull was caving in on his own brain and the air was slowly being pulled from every inch of his lungs. His lips grew cold and he felt his arms start to loosen on their choke hold.

Then everything went white and Daniels started to scream, ripping his finger away from Coulson's neck, he threw his hands out in front of him, trying to block the light. The world came back into focus rapidly and Coulson resumed applying pressure with his hold and Daniels continued to scream.

Looking up, Coulson saw Audrey, holding the device and shining it at the pair of them on the ground. The agent squinted against the light, but other than disturbing his newly-acquired migraine, the light didn't do anything to hurt him. Daniels, on the other hand, was obviously under its effect.

"Don't move, Daniels! Don't you touch him again," the woman ordered as she continued to shoot the pure light down at the writhing man in Coulson's grasp. Coulson just stared up at the cellist, hair fallen in front of her face, power in her stance and determination set in her eyes. And damned if it wasn't the sexiest thing he had ever seen.

Five other agents caught up to them only a second later, each pointing their own devices at the two of them. With one more scream, Daniels eventually lost consciousness and fell limp in Coulson's grasp. The senior agent waited a few seconds to make sure it wasn't a trick and then let go of his suspect. Two of his men came and lifted Daniels off of their commander, who pulled the ski mask from his face with a huff.

"Cuff him, then drug him," Coulson said, voice raspy from whatever Daniels had done to him. "I don't want him waking up halfway through transit and bringing the whole damn plane down."

"Yessir," the men answered as they carted the subject away. Others went to tend to the two fallen agents and provide them with medical care.

Coulson looked down at the mask in his hands and folded it neatly into a little, puffy square, then shoved it down into his pant pocket. As he removed the black gloves from his hands, he looked up and eyed the woman by the van. She watched him with labored breathing that matched his own, and he walked over to her.

"Thank you," he said, reaching forward and tapping the device she still clutched with two hands. "For saving me," he clarified.

Audrey looked down at her hands, "Oh, no. I mean, I didn't. You're the one who swooped in and..."

"Audrey," he said, his voice dipping into something more intimate as he took the device from her hands. He flipped it in a little toss and then caught it. Coulson eyed her playfully with a little smirk. "Looks like someone wasn't quite as afraid of her stalker as she thought."

She smiled at him. With a slightly shaky hand, she brushed her hair back from her face. "Honestly," she confessed, "I was more afraid that he might do something to you."

Coulson's expression dropped its mirth and he self-consciously cleared his throat, looking up at his men as they worked to secure the scene of the incident. If they had been eavesdropping on their superior's conversation with the civilian cellist, they all hid it well. Nevertheless, Coulson gently touched Audrey at the elbow and spurred her to walk with him.

"Sorry," Audrey whispered, hiking her shoulders like a chided puppy.

Coulson chuckled quietly. "It's alright. I just...It's not totally proper."

"You mean sort of like a senior agent kissing his witness right before she goes out on a stage to serve as bait for the bad guy?"

The color that had drained from Coulson's face during his scrap with Daniels now returned in full force, heating his cheeks and ears to a cheery red. He cleared his throat again. "Right," he said with a little bit of a groan.

Audrey laughed, "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist."

The two grew quiet as they kept walking through the parking lot. A few of the patrons from the concert were now exiting the building and making their way out to their cars. Coulson and Audrey easily blended in amongst the classy couples. "So, what happens now?" the cellist asked.

"Now, I get on a plane and fly Daniels to a secure facility, where he will be safe, controlled, and where we will finally be able to question him about the circumstances that gave him his powers. Maybe we'll even be able to come to an understanding of exactly _how_ his powers work. And in time, we can hopefully teach him how to control them. Use them responsibly, and in a way that doesn't injure anyone."

"So...you're going to help him?"

"That's the goal. It would require, obviously, a fair amount of cooperation on Mr. Daniels' part. If he's unwilling to give us that, then we'll detain him. But S.H.I.E.L.D. approaches all situations like this with rehabilitation in mind. It's just a matter of whether or not the subject is willing to turn in their black hat for a white one, so to speak. Some people are reluctant to do that. But whichever the case, you don't have to worry; Marcus Daniels is never going to bother you again."

She nodded softly as a gentle breeze caught her hair and pulled a few wispy strands across her face. She gave a smile to him as she lifted her eyes and tucked the loose strands behind her ear. All he could do was watch. She was so beautiful.

"I don't know that I can thank you enough," she said softly. "I'm not sure what I would have done if you hadn't shown up at my door that night."

At some point, the two had stopped walking and had turned to look at one another. As she spoke, Audrey took a step closer to him, invading his personal space. She lifted both hands and placed them gently on the chest of his tuxedo. When she looked up at his face, Coulson felt all the air leave his body. He shifted his weight and reached forward, hands lighting softly on her hips. They both leaned in.

_Suspect is secured for transport. Shall we radio for aerial extraction?_

With a pained sigh, Coulson diverted his lips at the last moment, causing Audrey's kiss to land on his eyebrow. With mouth slightly agape, he let a few controlling breaths pass before managing to pull away from her contact.

"Negative," he said, puzzlement registering in Audrey's gaze, while his own showed only apology. "There's not a suitable place for it to land. Besides, we've caused enough of a commotion here tonight. Move Daniels into the van. We'll take him to the airport and leave from there."

Audrey pulled herself out of his grasp and tried to compose herself as Coulson finished his orders to his men.

Coulson pulled the communicator from his ear and looked at it with a look of bridled hatred before putting it in his pocket. Then, he looked back to her.

Audrey tipped her head to the side. "You're leaving." It wasn't a question.

Coulson nodded regretfully, quiet resignation in his eyes. "Mission's almost over. Daniels has to be escorted into custody."

"And...when will-"

"As soon as I can manage it. I hope right away, but..." he hiked his shoulders, "...it's hard to predict these things."

The woman nodded her head and tried not to look too dejected.

Coulson took a breath. He put both hands on his hips and looked down at the ground, trying to find the best way of saying what he wanted to say next. "Look, Audrey, it's only fair to tell you...my job...I'm just, I'm not the easiest person to date."

She quirked an eyebrow at him.

And the agent hastily continued, "Not to say that you necessarily had any intention of dating me. But, if you did, then you know, you should know that, because of the nature of my job and such, it just...isn't the easiest thing in the world. Or so I'm told. You should know that, upfront."

Audrey smiled and stepped back into his personal space, reaching up to straighten his tie. A fistfight and subsequent wrestling match tended to upset one's sartorial standards just a bit. "Agent Coulson."

"Phil," he corrected, his voice suddenly raspy. He was starting to notice a correlation between her proximity and his dryness of throat.

"Phil...while I appreciate the disclaimer, I think I've already made up my mind on the matter."

"I just don't want you to be disappointed."

Subtly, she had been easing the angle of his head down through the mere power of suggestion, tipping her own up as she fiddled with his tie. Her eyes snapped to him as she replied, "Then you should kiss me again before you get on that plane."

In a heartbeat, he complied. The kiss was more sure and forthright than their first, each knowing exactly what they wanted. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Coulson felt the ear-bud burning a hole in his pocket. He knew that his men would likely be trying to get a hold of him, tell him that Daniels was secured in the van and they were ready to pull out. But Phil Coulson didn't have a mind for any of that right now. Right now, all of his focus was on the feel of the back under his right hand, the hip under his left hand, and the gorgeous mouth under his own. Audrey kissed him with a skill and a hunger that frankly surprised him, but Phil nevertheless returned it to her in kind.

After an eternity of not enough time, they finally pulled apart. As they both came back down to earth, Coulson suddenly became aware of the fact that his phone was ringing. Audrey seemed to notice it too, as she released him from her possessive hands on either side of his face.

Coulson dug the phone out of his pocket. "Yeah?—I know. I'm on my way." When he hung up the phone, it took all of Coulson's mental training to pull himself back together again. He breathed in deeply through his nose and took a very intentional step backward.

"You need to go," Audrey said.

"I need to go," he affirmed.

"You should hurry, before they call you again."

"Or before we..." he gestured between the two of them with a single finger.

"Right. Again."

"Right."

They both nodded at each other, the magnetic pull between them palpable, but being resisted admirably.

"Right," Coulson repeated, forcing himself to turn around and start walking away.

Then, after taking only a few steps, his mind managed to clear well enough for him to remember something he had wanted to tell her. Turning back, he said. "And by the way, your performance tonight?" he jutted a thumb out in the direction of the music hall. "It was really breathtaking."

Audrey smiled at him. "Thank you," she said. Then, bringing a finger up to pointedly wipe across her bottom lip, she added, "So was yours."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once again for reading. You are the best! We are closing in on the end of this story, but I would LOVE to know what you thought of this chapter. Leave a comment below and tell me your thoughts. The next chapter is on its way!
> 
> Canon Inspiration for this chapter:
> 
> "[I think I know a way, how to stop Daniels, for good. But we would have to use her to draw him out.] No. Do you understand? That is not acceptable. [Well it's not ideal, but there's no other choice.] I won't put her in danger again. That's not fair to her." -- Phil Coulson to Leopold Fitz, S1E19
> 
> "[He sounds unstoppable.] Like Fitz said, his power's unstable. Last time, we managed to capture him by overloading his system with pure light. [Exposing him to more energy than he can absorb at once.]" -- Phil Coulson to FitzSimmons, S1E19 
> 
> "I gave Daniels to SHIELD to rehabilitate him; turns out they just gave him an upgrade." -- Phil Coulson, S1E19


	8. The Only Light in the Darkness

Melinda May hated it here. The ground floor of S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ was always chaotic and overcrowded. Since her transfer to Records, she made it a point to avoid this level of the base as much as possible. Too many once-familiar faces who might be inclined to speak to her, or worse, accidentally make eye contact with her, and then pretend that they hadn't. Somehow that was always worse.

But today, her presence in this mess of human activity couldn't be avoided. Some new brass had needed paperwork brought to Asset Processing and Evaluation, and May's immediate superior was too lazy to do it herself. Luckily, the delivery of said papers had gone by with relative ease. Now if she could just make it back to Records without being stopped, it would be a good day.

"Nunchucks!" came a jovial greeting from behind her.

May froze when she heard the old nickname. She didn't even have to turn around to know who it was, but she did it anyway.

"Fancy meeting you here!" the man said, jogging up to her with a toothy grin.

"What do you want, Garrett?" May glowered.

John Garrett hissed in through his teeth and placed a hand over his heart, shaking his head. "Oh ouch...felt that one. When God invented the icy glare, he was thinking of you, Nunchucks."

May rolled her eyes and turned to keep walking.

For some reason, Garrett just matched her pace. "Can't a guy say hello to an old friend he sees in the hallway?"

"I really wish you wouldn't."

Garrett just laughed, like she must have been joking. "So I hear they've got you up in Paper Town these days. Tell me," he slapped the back of his hand against her shoulder to get her to stop walking, "aren't you ever just a little bit tempted to take a peek into one of the big wig's files, just to see what dirty little secrets they might be hiding?"

"Don't you ever get tired of being obnoxious?"

"Not usually."

Before she could roll her eyes again, a loud crash sounded from the other end of the hall. She and Garrett both turned to take in the noise. Two agents were working to subdue a rambunctious man fighting against their control, with his arms restrained behind his back in heavy-duty, all encompassing, hand-and-wrist cuffs. The man was screaming now, furious as Agent Coulson calmly walked into view.

"You just want her all to yourself!" the man accused, looking Coulson dead in the eye. "I've seen the way you look at her. Like you think she's yours. Like you think she's playing for _you_.  I don't care what you do to me. You can't take her away from me! I'll find her and I'll make her see-"

Then the unexpected happened. Agent Coulson lunged forward before the man could even finish his threat. He grabbed him tightly by the collar and pinned him back against the wall with enough force to make the wall decor shiver on its nails.

"You listen here, you son of a bitch," Coulson began, his voice menacing and gravely. "You are never going to see her again. Do you hear me? You will never lay eyes on her, you will never hear her play, and you most _certainly_ will _never_ get anywhere near her ever again. Do you understand?"

The man scowled at Coulson with an intense frown. For a moment, May thought he was going to spit in Coulson's face. But instead, he sneered, "She doesn't love you."

With a snarl of his nose, Coulson aggressively released the man's collar, eliciting a harsh _phwip_ as his fists left the clothing of his shirt. He sniffed in and took a step back, turning his head low as he gestured vaguely towards the other man. "Lock him up," he said to his team, something barely restrained in his voice, and his men quickly seized the prisoner and started dragging him away.

But the man was not finished yet. "She doesn't love you!" he repeated as Coulson turned and stalked down the hallway. The other agents got the man out of the hallway, his maniacal screams echoing through the closing door, "SHE DOESN'T LOVE YOU!"

It was a rare thing, to see barely-concealed rage boil over for one Philip J. Coulson. May had witnessed it only a handful of times before. And truth be told, it had scared her a little bit every time. This time was no different. As he marched down the hallway and further towards her, she watched him try to ignore all of the pairs of eyes currently watching him. It wasn't like Coulson to be the center of everyone's attention, and the entire crowd seemed to recognize the gravity of that. Which just made it worse. And the deathly silence in the corridor just meant that everyone could better hear the repeated phrase as it was yelled from the adjacent hallway. "SHE DOESN'T LOVE YOU!"

 Coulson sighed and closed his eyes, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Phil?" Garrett began as Coulson neared.

But the agent didn't even falter his pace. "I'm fine," he said, turning his body and slipping past them without a further word.

"Wow," Garrett mused. "Any idea what that was about?"

May watched her friend beat a hasty retreat towards his office, and lied, "No."

She looked over at Garret and noticed that he too was watching Coulson walk away, with some interest. In fact, he had a strange look about him. Something between a smile and a grimace on his face, and terribly thoughtful eyes. Like he was planning something. "What?" May asked, effectively jarring Garrett out of his daze.

"Oh, it's nothing, I just...I don't think I've ever seen Coulson let one get personal. But that looked a hell of a lot like 'personal' to me." Then he turned and looked back at Melinda May and smiled again, "Imagine that."

* * *

Coulson was already in his office by the time she got there. His door was open a crack, so she pushed it the rest of the way and saw him seated at his desk, with his head bowed low between his hands. She knocked on the open door, though she knew he was already aware of her presence.

Coulson sighed and looked up at her. His characteristic smirk reclaimed its usual space as he leaned back in his chair. "Two visits in one week. Should I feel flattered or afraid?" he joked.

"What the hell was that?" May asked, walking into his office and sitting down in the chair across from his desk.

Coulson breathed in a sigh and clasped his hands together in front of him, elbows perching on his armrests. "Marcus Daniels. A target I've been pursuing over the past couple months." When it was clear from her expression that that wasn't answer enough, he conceded, "Got under my skin a little."

"Which is hard to do."

Coulson's smile faltered a little. "...Not when you have the right access point," he admitted quietly. A pause played out between them after that.

Melinda glanced over at the laptop on his desk. It was off now, but her mind's eye could still recall the pretty face that Coulson had been staring at only a few days ago. "That woman from your computer earlier?" she asked. It was a formality; she already knew she was right.

Coulson took in another deep breath and repositioned. He looked at his desk as he bit his bottom lip in a moment of thought. He seemed irritated. "And what, are you going to lecture me now about all the reasons it's a bad idea? I thought you only dated civilians," he accused, somewhat indignantly.

May gave him a look that said 'Grow up' while her words actually said, "Not when that civilian is the subject of a case."

"Case is closed now," Coulson said with a hike of his shoulders. "Daniels is in custody. My connection to her in any official capacity was concluded with his capture." As he spoke, neither of them was certain if he was trying to convince her of something or if he was trying to convince himself. Coulson sighed after a moment, his defiance slipping from his posture as he slumped back in his chair a little more. "You don't approve," he observed.

Now it was May's turn to sigh. It had been so long since she had had a candid conversation like this with him. She would have thought the time they had spent apart would have made a bigger difference, would have made all of those walls she had constructed feel extra solid. But it didn't. Even though she tried to care for no one, she still cared about Phil Coulson. And a childish part of her was frustrated to realize that.

"You can make your own choices, Coulson," she said after a while. "All I know  is just because she's a civilian, it doesn't make it easy. At least with someone in the agency, you know that they can handle themselves if they land in someone's crosshairs. It sounds like this woman has already landed in a few."

"Daniels is never going to get close to her again," Coulson stated resolutely, and she saw a flash of that anger from the hallway begin to boil up in his eyes.

"And what about the next one, Phil? The next sicko who has no connection to her but wants to get under your skin and knows just how to do it? What happens then?"

Coulson huffed and stood from his desk, walking over to the window at the far wall and staring out of it.

May just continued, "Or what about all the nights that you can't get any sleep, worrying, but you can't tell her what's wrong because she has no clearance? What happens when you both get sick of all the secrets?" In a flash, something changed in her tone, and her words were no longer biting, but regretful. "What happens when the world falls apart, when you come home from a mission broken...and she can't understand any of the pieces?"

Coulson's shoulders lifted and fell in a heavy sigh. He pressed his palms against the window frame and bowed his head forward until it tapped against the cool window. He stayed like that for a long while, and when he spoke again, his voice was deep and burdened. "Andrew..." he said, "Andrew was your chance at something...something people like us...don't see come around very often."

He waited for a moment and then turned slightly, casting his eyes back at her from over his shoulder. "...What if Audrey is mine?"

May took in a steadying breath as she watched him, his eyes locked on her and they asked her the same unspoken question that his words did: Was it worth it?

She knew what it was he wanted, what he longed for. And how could he not want it? Every agent in this business made the same trade, and every one of them, on some level, still pined for the other option. But in most cases, they obviously made the right call. The things about an agent that made them right for this kind of world were usually the exact same things that would make them wrong for that other world. Phil Coulson was different though. He was a hell of an agent, and he could make the tough play when the moment called for it. But through it all, at his heart, he remained impossibly good. There was a corner of his soul that the darkness could never touch; and through this anomaly, he remained a light. If there was ever a person that could flourish with a foot in both worlds, she imagined if would have to be a person like Phil Coulson.

After a moment, May finally broke away from his gaze and stood from her chair. She started to walk towards the door and he turned to watch her as she did, still poised to hear her answer.

She paused at the door, and quietly replied, "If she's your chance...then take it." She looked up at him as her hand twisted the doorknob, "But be careful, Phil." And with that, she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you (as always) for reading! I really love this chapter so I am excited to hear your thoughts on it. The idea for the opening of this chapter was a goal of mine from very early on. Based off of May's line in the Cellist episode (noted below), we know that she was there whenever Daniels was brought in the first time, so it felt natural to use her (and by extension, her experiences with Andrew) to serve as a certain foil for Coulson in this chapter. And I loved the idea of Garrett being there too and first having the seeds of "this might be a way to bring down Phil Coulson" take root in his devious little mind. But it isn't until Hydra come to light and Ward can offer more information that Garrett can actually act on this information. 
> 
> I have no canonical support for Garrett calling May "Nunchucks" except that it seems like a totally Garret move, in my mind. And we know that he likes to give vaguely condescending nicknames to women ("Flowers" and "Vic" for example). So it just felt right.
> 
> Finally, throughout this whole story, I have been playing around with themes of light and darkness. You may have noticed. This was especially relevant given the title and themes of the Cellist debut episode from season one. But usually, I think the thinking is that the light refers to Audrey. In this chapter, I wanted to take the title of that episode "The Only Light in the Darkness" and turn it on its head to say "yes, it clearly refers to Audrey...but it also refers to Coulson." Coulson is himself a light in the darkness. It is what draws so many characters towards him and inspires their loyalty. In a world full of darkness and secrecy and negativity, there's something about him that just embodies light and hope. May sees that in him, and she always has, which is what made her the perfect character to reveal as much to us the readers in this chapter. 
> 
> I know this was a long author's note (and I haven't even gotten to the canon quotes yet), but like I said, I really love this chapter, so I wanted to share a little behind the scenes (so to speak) with you. Thanks again for reading, and the next and FINAL chapter will be posted soon!
> 
> Canon Inspiration for this Chapter:
> 
> "I remember when you brought Daniels in. I know how personal this is for you." -- Melinda May, S1E19
> 
> "[Mr. Daniels, we don't want to hurt you. We need to take you in, for your safety and the safety of others.] It was you. You took me there!" -- Marcus Daniels to Phil Coulson, S1E19
> 
> "Your tip about the cellist came in handy." -- John Garrett to Grant Ward, S1E18
> 
> "[Well I'm sorry you took it personally. Spy life can be confusing sometimes, I know.] ...That's why I only date civilians, makes things simpler. [Agreed. Until they start asking questions.] Agreed." -- Melinda May to Phil Coulson, S4E14
> 
> "When I took this job, I made a choice. The same choice everyone else here made: This life, over the other one. The one with holiday dinners and PTA meetings, recitals. It's not easy. But...if the time comes to make the hard call...it's simpler. But you have a son. You have someone waiting for you to come home...you need the think about that. You need to think about him." -- Phil Coulson to Mike Peterson, S1E10


	9. We see what we want

"And you haven't heard anything?" Bethany asked.

"The last I heard from him after he took Daniels was just a text that basically said he was being reassigned, and that he wouldn't be able to communicate at all during it."

"And how long ago was that?"

Audrey turned and looked out the window of her sister's Subaru, the trees of her neighborhood sending bright stripes of light dancing across the shiny exterior of the vehicle. Despite the happy weather, her heart sank at the question. She didn't have to calculate the number because she already knew it by heart, but she still paused before saying, "Five weeks ago."

Bethany breathed in through her teeth. "That's a long time," she said gently. "Is that about how long an assignment usually lasts? Do you know?"

Audrey didn't look back at her sister, only hiked her shoulders and sighed, "I'm not sure. When he was chasing Daniels, he was here for about a week."

"So...five weeks is kind of a long time then."

She sighed again, "I don't know, Beth. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Okay, sorry," Bethany said, and backed off.

Truth be told, her sister wasn't voicing anything that Audrey hadn't already been thinking. Over the past month, she had run the full gamut of emotions. Excited anticipation, hesitating worry, outright panic, quiet resignation, bitter disappointment. She wasn't sure if Phil was even still on his mission. That was her hope, but she held onto that hope a little bit more loosely with every passing day. Now she worried that one of two options might be true: that his mission had ended and he had simply lost interest in her (the preferable option), or that something terrible had happened to him on his mission, and no one in S.H.I.E.L.D. would think to notify her. And why would they? It's not like she was officially seeing the man. She wasn't sure if she was _officially_ anything, except maybe an obsolete witness to a closed case. If something had happened, her heart sank to realize that she would probably never know about it. Only the slowly progressing months would serve as her eventual answer.

"Are we still getting snow cones?" one of the kids from the back seat asked.

"Snow cones! Yeah!" the other cheered.

"In a minute," Bethany answered, looking back at her kids in the rearview mirror. "We have to stop at Auntie Audrey's first though cause she forgot something." Not even a minute after she said this, the faithful mom and sister was pulling up to Audrey's house and parking in the driveway.

Audrey unbuckled. "It'll just be a second. The check is just on my kitchen table."

Bethany shrugged. "That's fine. We'll be here."

Audrey quickly jumped out of the car and jogged into her house. Inside the paycheck was right where she expected it to be. Her utilities were going to be processed through her account on Monday, which meant this check had to be deposited today, and she had totally forgotten about it. Luckily, her bank was right next to the snow cone shop, so this would work out pretty well.

She grabbed the paycheck and then instantly headed back outside. On her porch, she pulled the front door shut securely behind her and then turned to lock the door. From behind her, she heard a car door open and for a moment, she wondered if one of the kids had to use the bathroom.

When she turned around, she saw him, stepping out of a green minivan parked across the street. His left arm was in a sling, and when he removed his sunglasses, she saw that his face had two butterfly bandages on it, one on his cheekbone and another over his eyebrow. He closed the door to his van and just stood there. In fact, they both just stood there, staring at one another for a moment.  Then, at the same time, they both started walking towards each other.

They met at the edge of her yard.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," she echoed. "Nice van."

Coulson looked over his shoulder with a tiny smirk. "It's a rental from the airport. I flew commercial here since, this isn't exactly S.H.I.E.L.D. business."

Audrey just nodded slowly. "Are you okay?" she asked, after a pause, gesturing down at his arm.

Coulson looked down at it too and shrugged. "It'll heal."

"Did that happen on your mission?"

He nodded in reply and she continued, "The one you left for over a month ago?" There was a hint of annoyance in her tone, and the connotation wasn't lost on him.

"It wasn't supposed to be like that," he said, his voice low and regretful. "This was supposed to be a simple op. One week, two at most....but, our intel proved incomplete. The situation was much more complicated than we realized. I'm sorry, Audrey. You weren't supposed to be left in the dark that long."

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at her shoes, the wind catching her hair a little bit as she did. "Does that sort of thing happen a lot for you?" she looked back up at him and squinted in the sunlight. "You get whisked away with no word, for months at a time?"

The regret and heartbreak were evident on his face while he looked at her, his mouth pinched in a stern line. "...Sometimes," he confessed finally.

Audrey sighed and looked away. She saw her sister, watching her from the driver's seat of her blue Subaru, sympathy and curiosity etched into her expression. Audrey tried not to tear up.

"Audrey look," Coulson began. "I know this isn't what you signed up for. And," he looked away to gather his thoughts, eyes bouncing over the face of her house behind her. "And, if you don't want to move forward with this, then...I'll understand. I told you in the beginning that my job makes this kind of thing really difficult. But..." emotion was welling up in his voice now. "But, I think the world of you, and...it's like I'm infected or something. You permeate everything I do now, everything I think about. The entire time I was gone, I couldn't stop...missing you."

He took a step closer to her, his voice shaky and earnest. "I am not a selfish man. I'm usually fine to deny myself the things I want when I know they aren't practical. But I _want_ this...badly. And I can't just walk away from it. Not this time. Audrey, I want, very much...to be with you. And if you...if somehow, you are willing to take a chance on me, accept me with all of my baggage and, my stupid, pain-in-the-ass job...then I promise, I will find a way to make it up to you. I promise, I'll..."

His voice trailed off and he dropped his head with a sigh, having no idea how to broker the deal his heart longed for. No idea how he could ever offer her enough to warrant her sacrifice. So many other men would be right for her. Safe for her. And Coulson knew he couldn't compete with that stability. All he could hope for now was her mercy, because he knew he had so little to offer her.

He looked back up at her to see tears in her eyes. He gulped, not sure if that was a good sign. "Please, Audrey," he said, barely above a whisper.

Unable to resist any longer, she finally closed the distance between them, a hand coming up to the back of his neck and pulling him into a fervent hug. Instantly, his healthy arm wrapped around her and he held on for dear life, burying his face into her shoulder and pinching his eyes tightly shut.

"I missed you too," he heard her muffle into his chest. "So much."

Coulson let out a huff of relief and pulled slightly away from her hug. He turned his head and went in for the kiss he had been needing for the past month now. But Audrey turned her head and accepted his kiss onto her cheek instead. Instantly, his grip weakened and he pulled back from her grasp, a hurt and worried look in his eye.

But Audrey smiled at him fondly and reached up to touch his cheek. "My niece and nephew are in that car there," she explained with a nod in said direction.

Coulson turned and looked at the vehicle for the first time. "Oh," he said, in a gentle daze as he released her fully and took a step back. He lifted his hand and gave a little wave. Inside the vehicle, he saw three hands wave back at him. Now he blushed. "I'm sorry," he said.

Audrey laughed quietly, "It's okay. " Then a little louder she added, "We were just on our way to get snow cones. I don't suppose you would want to join us."

Coulson looked at her and grinned broadly, relief washing over every inch of his face. "As a matter of fact, I happen to love snow cones."

He bit his lip as he followed her to the SUV, wiping away the residual signs of the tears that had welled up in his eyes and giving a good sniff to compose himself. When the door opened, he could hear Audrey's sister saying, "Tammy, honey, scoot over to the middle so Mr. Coulson has a place to sit and doesn't have to climb over all our crap."

A blonde little girl, probably around 7, quickly obeyed. The other child, Coulson would guess around 4, had scruffy brown hair and eyed Coulson suspiciously from his little car seat. "Guys," Audrey began, "This is my friend, Mr. Coulson. He's going to come get snow cones with us if that's alright." Then turning to Coulson, she made the rest of the introductions, "This is my nephew Connor. Connor, stop chewing on your shirt."

The little guy obeyed, and Coulson dropped his jaw in a goofy smile and waved at the boy enthusiastically. That made Connor smile and he waved back.

"And that is my niece, Tammy. She's a musician like me," Audrey supplied proudly.

Tammy smiled and bellowed, "Nooo...I'm not that good yet."

"Well, it just takes practice," Coulson replied.

"That's what my mom says!" answered Tammy, and Coulson smiled at her.

"And you remember my sister, Bethany."

"Hi, Phil," the sister greeted, reaching back to extend a handshake, which the agent gladly received. "So glad to see you turn back up."

"I was glad to turn back up, believe me," Coulson said, casting a subtle glance over at Audrey. After the introductions were made, Coulson climbed into the vehicle and took his place while Audrey returned to the front seat.

"What happened to your arm?" Connor blurted, apparently able to hold it in no longer.

"I fell on it."

"On your bike?"

"No, just on the ground."

"Were you running really fast like this," the boy hiked up his elbows and swung them back and forth rapidly to signify running, "and then you tripped and fell down like _VSHHH_?" and he spread his arms out in front of himself in an epic, fake crash.

"Something like that."

Both of the kids giggled a little, and Coulson smiled.

"You should be more careful," the girl said.

"I really should," Coulson agreed, looking back towards the front to catch Audrey's eye in the rearview mirror. They shared a twinkle between them.

Then Coulson felt a tiny tap on his shoulder. Turning, he found the young girl leaning into him, her little hands cupped around her mouth like a small megaphone. She whispered at him in a child's whisper, the kind that actually isn't much quieter than a normal speaking voice and so doesn't exactly lend itself to secrecy. "Are you Auntie Audrey's boyfriend?" she asked.

A little stunned by the question, his eyebrows lifted subtly and he quietly mumbled, "Umm..." Coulson turned and looked towards the front of the vehicle again. This time, Audrey didn't catch his eye in the mirror, but he did notice the two sisters in the front both turned and exchanged a look.

He looked back at the waiting children and grinned at them conspiratorially. Leaning in, he said, "I'd really like to be."

The girl's mouth tightened down into a scandalized little O and she hiked her shoulders all the way up to her ears as she looked over at her brother. He just grinned, showing a mouth full of gums and two rows of boxy, white teeth. He leaned back in his car seat and slapped his leg. "Oh man!" the little man said, grabbing his head with both hands and beginning to laugh.

Coulson watched their reactions and a massive grin spread over his face.

"I think that means they approve, Phil," came Bethany's observation from the driver's seat.

"That's a relief."

"Are you gonna get her flowers?" one of the kids asked.

Coulson looked over at Audrey and caught her eye in the mirror again. "Yep," he said, staring at her, loving the way the skin of her cheeks was heated to a cheery red and how her eyes seemed to be laughing.

"Are you going to get her candy? And cookies?"

"Oh yeah," Coulson continued.

"Are you gonna give her silly string?" the little boy shouted in excitement.

Coulson flinched at the unconventional wooing technique, and he heard Audrey stifle a snort in the front seat. "Hold on." He leaned forward and grabbed an old receipt from the floor of the SUV, pulling out a pen from his jacket pocket. He started scribbling the items down, "Okay, flowers, candy, silly string...okay, what else?"

The kids both lit up. "Balloons!" one of them shouted. "And pretty jewelry!" the other echoed.

"Uhhu, uhhu. This is all good stuff. Keep it coming," Coulson encouraged.

"Disneyland!"

"Yeah! Take her to Disneyland!"

"Oh my god," Audrey said, and she and Bethany finally cracked up in the front seat.

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! That's my take on how the Marcus Daniels case went down, and more importantly, how Coulson and Audrey met and fell in love. I really hope you enjoyed reading this little story of mine. I certainly had a wonderful (and challenging ) time writing it. Any feedback you would care to give would be appreciated. 
> 
> I'm also happy to announce that this is not the last Philharmonic story you will see from me (by any means). This story was just the kickoff of my new Philharmonic series that will seek to tie together every canonical reference we have to the cellist and her relationship with Coulson. I currently have the sequel to this story well underway; so if you liked "How It Began," then keep your eyes peeled for the next installment in the upcoming months. 
> 
> Once again, thank you so much for reading. I'll catch you later.


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